Williams makes switch to Reading

• by Soccer America , Jun 25, 2013

[AMERICANS ABROAD] Danny Williams is on the move from Germany to England. The 24-year-old midfielder, who spent four years in the Bundesliga, two each at Freiburg and Hoffenheim, is joining Reading, which returned to the League Championship after one season in the Premier League.

Williams didn't play in the last two months of the 2012-13 Bundesliga season as he was bothered by an ankle injury. His place in the Hoffenheim midfield was already in jeopardy as it brought in several midfielders during the January transfer window.

"Danny is a versatile player," said Reading director of football Nick Hammond. "He possesses great energy and already has great experience in one of the top leagues in Europe. At his age, he still has plenty of development ahead of him."

Williams had won the starting job as the holding midfielder in the U.S. national team in the fall of 2012 but he has hasn't played since a poor outing in the opening Hexagonal match against Honduras.

He wasn't called in for the March qualifiers because he was sick; he was called in for the June qualifiers but released from the team after the Jamaica game.

"These are exciting times for the club and Danny's acquisition is another step forward for us," added Reading chairman John Madejski. "I remember American players Marcus Hahnemann and Bobby Convey doing very well in a Reading shirt in recent years and I am certain Danny will do the same."