Ørjan Nyland signs short-term deal with the Royals

We are pleased to announce that 31-year-old Norwegian international goalkeeper Ørjan Nyland has put pen to paper on a short-term deal which will see him represent the Royals until the end of the current campaign.

Following surgery to his hand, Arsenal loanee keeper Karl Hein is expected to miss the remaining eleven games of the season, while young Icelandic international Jökull Andrésson has been absent through injury in recent weeks – so former Aston Villa stopper Nyland arrives to provide competition to Luke Southwood for the goalkeeper’s jersey, subject to the usual ratification by footballing authorities.

The early years in Nyland’s career were spent in his native Norway, winning the Norwegian Cup in three successive years with Hødd and then Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s Molde – where he also earned a top flight title in 2014.

He made the switch to Bundesliga side Ingolstadt before arriving in the UK in the summer of 2018 when he penned a three-year deal with Aston Villa.

At Villa Park Nyland won promotion to the Premier League in his first season at the club and, the following year, kept goal in the Carabao Cup Final against Manchester City at Wembley.

Short spells at Norwich and Bournemouth followed and his last appearance in the Championship saw the 6’4” stopper keep a clean sheet in a goalless affair at Hull earlier this season.

Internationally, Nyland made his debut for Norway in a friendly against Scotland in November 2013. To date he has won 33 caps for his country, playing for Ståle Solbakken’s side in recent wins over Gibraltar and Montenegro as well as draws with Turkey and Latvia late last year.

Nyland is now a Royal and could make his debut at the City Ground when we travel to Nottingham Forest this weekend.

Chief Executive Dayong Pang said, “Competition for places right across the pitch remains so important and, with the arrival of Ørjan, we have added invaluable experience and a goalkeeper with both Premier League and international pedigree who is eager to compete for the gloves and help us earn results. I’m very pleased to welcome him to Reading Football Club.”