Reggae Boy Moore joins Stoke, Kasey Palmer stays with Bristol City

LONDON (CMC):

REGGAE BOY Liam Moore, who was stripped of the Reading captaincy last month after saying he wanted to leave the English club, has joined Championship rivals Stoke City on a deal until the end of the season.

The deal, struck on Monday’s final day of the January transfer window, saw Stoke midfielder Tom Ince, who is of Barbadian heritage and the son of former England defender Paul Ince, move in the opposite direction to the Royals, also on loan.

Centre-back Moore, 29, has made more than 230 first-team appearances for Reading in more than five years at the Berkshire club. He made his debut for Jamaica in a 4-1 defeat against the United States last March.

BRINGING VERSATILITY

“I’m delighted that we have managed to get the signing of Liam over the line before the deadline. As well as experience, he will bring versatility to our squad for the second half of the season,” Stoke manager Michael O’Neill said.

Ince, 30, who began his career with Liverpool, and also enjoyed successful spells at Blackpool and Derby County before joining Stoke in 2018, has scored 92 goals in his career, 14 of those at Stoke.

Kasey Palmer, a Reggae Boy who seemed likely to leave Bristol City, will remain at the Championship club – as will Bermuda captain Nahki Wells.

The 25-year-old midfielder Palmer had been strongly tipped to join rivals Queens Park Rangers while Cardiff City, another Championship club, eyed up a loan move for 31-year-old Wells, another of the club’s higher earners, to plug a gap after striker Kieffer Moore left to join Bournemouth.