A former-England international on nine occasions, who spent the last decade playing in the Premier League for the likes of Liverpool, West Ham United and Newcastle United, experienced striker Carroll signed a short-term deal with the Royals in November 2021, following his departure from St James' Park that summer. 

The Gateshead-born forward began his career with boyhood club Newcastle, signing his first professional contract with the Magpies in 2006 – he went on to score 33 times in 91 appearances for United during his first stint at St James’ Park, helping them win the second tier title and rise back into the Premier League in 2010.

In January 2011, Newcastle accepted a bid from Liverpool and the Gateshead-born forward left the north-east for Anfield where he lifted the League Cup and scored in an FA Cup Final in his first season as a Red.

After a season on loan at West Ham he signed for the Hammers permanently in 2013 and then returned to Tyneside six years later to don the black and white stripes of the Toon once more.

Internationally, Carroll represented the Three Lions at youth level before breaking into the senior side to make his England debut against France in a friendly in November 2010. He has scored twice for his country – his first in a friendly against Ghana before finding the net for Roy Hodgson’s men in a 3-2 win over Sweden at Euro 2012.

The forward's two months with the Royals in 2021-22 saw him score two goals in eight appearances - an iconic strike in a win at Swansea and a headed effort against Middlesbrough. He went onto spend the second half of the campaign with West Bromwich Albion, before making a return to Reading early in the 2022-23 campaign, where he scored nine goals in 30 league appearances.