JOEY VAN DEN BERG has left Reading to join Dutch second tier side NEC Nijmegen on loan.
The midfielder arrived on a free transfer from Heerenveen in 2016 and made 68 appearances for the Royals, but has found himself frozen out under new boss Paul Clement.
The 32-year-old was one of Jaap Stam’s first signings and was a key cog in the side which reached the 2017 Championship play-off final.
He was rewarded with a contract extension up until the summer of 2019 in September last year, but featured in just three games under Clement and was told last month that he was surplus to requirements.
Van den Berg has not played in any of Reading’s five pre-season matches and will move back to his homeland for the season on loan with the option of additional years on top as a permanent deal at Nijmegen.