Reading have signed the former Newcastle and Liverpool striker Andy Carroll on a short-term contract.
The 32-year-old forward has been without a club since his contract at Newcastle expired this summer. Carroll, who has also played for West Ham, is committed to the Championship club until mid-January after agreeing a two-month deal.
“This is a deal which we have been working on for some time and are confident it is the right move for both player and club,” the Reading manager, Veljko Paunovic, told the club’s official website.
“Andy is looking for a new challenge in his career and we need a player with his quality and vast experience. So this is a great match and I’m really looking forward to working with Andy over the next couple of months.”
Carroll, who has won nine England caps, scoring twice, posted a photo of himself holding up a Reading shirt and the club’s training ground, alongside the caption: “let the fun and games begin!”
The forward joins the centre-back Scott Dann and the midfielder Danny Drinkwater in a squad bolstered by loans and free transfers amid an ongoing transfer embargo.
The Royals are 16th in the Championship but are set to be deducted between six and nine points by the Football League for breaching financial rules.