Friday, 7th June, 2013

Former England international Wayne Bridge has joined Championship side Reading from rivals Brighton on a one-year deal, becoming manager Nigel Adkins’ first signing for the club.

Left-back Bridge has been spending time on loan at various clubs, the last being Brighton, after he became surplus to requirements at parent club Manchester City.



Roberto Mancini’s signing of Aleksandar Kolarov and Gael Clichy forced Bridge to look for alternatives, and he spent short spells at West Ham and Sunderland before securing a season-long loan with the Seagulls.

He made 37 league appearances for the south-coast club, scoring three goals, and his performances have been rewarded with a contract at Reading who were relegated from the Premier League this season.

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The 32-year-old told Reading’s official site: "From the outside, Reading look like a team who are capable of getting back into the Premier League, a team that works hard for each other.

"That is something I want to be a part of and I’m really looking forward to next season.

"I spoke to the manager and he told me about the direction he wants the team to go in. Everything we talked about was positive – and he was really positive about signing me which means a lot."

Before moving to Manchester City, Bridge, who had helped Brighton secure a playoff position, also had six-year spell at Chelsea where he made 87 league appearances.

His England career saw him turn out 36 times, but his off-the-field issues surrounding his former girlfriend and his former team-mate John Terry led him to call time on the international scene.

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