Reading FC Sign Goalkeeper Jaakkola

Plucking the Finland international, whose sole cap arrived in 2010, from the Southern Hemisphere side, the Royals are showing that their commitment to this Ajax-style overhaul can stretch to the Dutch club's feeder teams.

For an undisclosed fee, a two-year deal has been signed by the 29-year-old, which we indicated to you last night and now confirmed by the club, and he leaves the Urban Warriors after three years in South Africa, during which time they finished 12th, 5th, and then 10th in the SA Premier Division.

What this means for Reading's current shot-stoppers, in particular Ali Al-Habsi and Jonathan Bond, is that there will be a spike in competition over the medium term, although Englishman Bond is reportedly out injured for at least the majority of pre-season.

So far in his career, Jaakkola has dropped into Scotland, with two seasons at Kilmarnock, as well as a year as back-up at Slavia Prague and a similar spell with Siena between 2006 and 2010, whilst the Italians bounced between the top two tiers of Calcio.

Gauging his time in Cape Town is difficult, although the league tables suggest a below average defence. I've been to their stadium. That's nice. So, in the absence of any real analysis, here's a YouTube clip.

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