Academy graduate transforms successful loan spell into permanent move
Young defender Niall Keown has completed a permanent transfer to Scottish Premiership side Partick Thistle, making the move for an undisclosed fee after impressing on loan at Firhill during the second half of last season.
Keown came through the Academy ranks at Reading after joining the club at the age of 16 in 2011. He was part of our Premier League Cup winning side three years later and the defender went on to make his first team debut in 2015 when he was a late substitute against Brighton and then started his only game for the club at Vicarage Road under Steve Clarke that same season.
In 2016-17, the 22-year-old returned from injury to represent our Under-23s on six occasions and scored in our Checkatrade Trophy win over Southampton’s Category One Academy before sealing a loan switch to Scotland in the January transfer window.
The former Republic of Ireland Under-21 international went on to make 14 appearances for Alan Archibald’s outfit, keeping a clean sheet on his Jags debut in a goalless draw at Inverness.
Thistle finished in the top half of the Scottish top tier last season – their highest finish for 36 years - and Keown will now link up with fellow Academy graduate Ryan Edwards in Glasgow, having put pen to paper on a two-year deal north of the border earlier today.
We continue to feel extremely proud of all our Academy graduates who succeed in forging careers in professional football and everyone at Reading would like to wish Niall the very best of luck at Firhill and in his future career.