Manchester United defender Blackett joins Reading

LONDON (Reuters) - Manchester United defender Tyler Blackett joined Championship club Reading on Monday, signing a three-year contract.

The 22-year-old England under-21 spent last season on loan at Celtic, where he won a Scottish League winner's medal.

Reading manager Jaap Stam, formerly a defender with United, said Blackett's versatility was a key factor in the move.

"He can play as a left-back or a left-sided centre-back; he has got great potential in the sense that he is quick and athletic, defensively he is strong and he is good at set pieces," Stam told Reading's website (www.readingfc.co.uk).

"As a defender he can go and play high up the pitch as well, and that is what we need in the squad."

(Reporting by Simon Cambers; Editing by Clare Fallon)