January 9 2008

The Football League

Crystal Palace have swooped for Reading defender John Halls in a one-month loan deal.

The right-back has struggled to land a regular spot in the Royals' first team this season, making just three appearances.

He scored in their 4-2 Carling Cup defeat to Liverpool earlier in the campaign but was sent out on loan to Championship club Preston in November.

The Islington-born 25-year-old will go straight into Neil Warnock's squad for the road trip to Wolves on Saturday.

Palace now have Halls, Ryan Hall, Lee Hills and Clint Hill in the squad!

Halls started out as a trainee with local team Arsenal and had loan stints with Colchester and Belgian side Beveren, before moving to Stoke in 2003.

Three years later, the 6ft defender joined Steve Coppell's Reading but has only featured eight times for the Premier League club.