READING have signed midfielder Charlie Adam on a one year contract.

Son and brother to professional footballers north of the border, football runs in Dundee-born Charlie Adam’s veins.

His career began at Rangers, signing at Ibrox at the age of 17 before going on to win the Scottish Youth Cup in 2002.

A loan spell at Ross County earned him first team minutes which included an appearance in the 2004 Scottish Challenge Cup Final against Falkirk.

He was on the winning side on the same stage the following year as, during a season on loan with St Mirren, he lifted the trophy at the expense of Hamilton Academical.

That season also saw Adam win the Scottish second tier title as a Saint and he returned to Rangers a double-winner to break through and feature regularly in the first team under Paul Le Guen, scoring his first goal for the club in a 3–2 UEFA Cup win over Livorno before netting with a trademark set piece in the Old Firm derby at the end of the campaign.

The former Young Player of the Season at Rangers moved to England to join Blackpool in 2009 and the loan move became permanent the following season.

He was named in the PFA’s Championship Team of the Year, but real reward came in the form of promotion to the Premier League.

Adam scored from the spot in the play-off semi-final against Nottingham Forest before finding the net with a free-kick in a win over Cardiff City at Wembley.

He would spent the next eight years of his career playing Premier League football and, after an influential campaign pulling the strings in Ian Holloway’s midfield, Adam was nominated for the 2010-11 PFA Players' Player of the Year accolade alongside Samir Nasri, Scott Parker, Carlos Tevez, Rafael Van der Vaart and Nemanja Vicic - losing out only to Tottenham Hotspur’s Gareth Bale.

Liverpool signed the 6’1” star that summer and he won the Carling Cup in his maiden campaign at Anfield, also helping the Reds reach the FA Cup Final in 2011-12.

The following season he signed for Stoke City - a club he would remain contracted to for the next seven years. During his spell with the Potters, he scored past Arsenal’s Petr Cech, Tottenham’s Hugo Lloris, Liverpool’s Simon Mignolet, Leicester City’s Kasper Schmeichel, Manchester United’s David de Gea and Chelsea’s Thibault Courtois from 65 yards!

Capped 26 times by Scotland, Adam left the Britannia Stadium at the end of last season.

A cultured creative midfielder who has a wealth of experience to offer, having spent most of his playing days at the very highest level, he now approaches a fresh new challenge in his career as a Reading player.

Chief Executive Nigel Howe said: “A player with both Championship and Premier League experience, not to mention pedigree at European and international level, Charlie Adam can play a very valuable role within what is a relatively young first team squad at Reading. I look forward to seeing him represent the Royals this season.”