Reading defender Derrick Williams has retired after a 15-year playing career. He made 24 appearances for the Royals last season.

What happened?

Williams arrived at Reading last summer from the United States, where he had spells with LA Galaxy, DC United, and Atlanta United in the MLS. He also made over 100 appearances for both Bristol City and Blackburn Rovers.

Why it matters for Reading

The 33-year-old won three caps for the Republic of Ireland between 2018 and 2019, scoring one goal. "After much consideration across the off-season, I have decided to call time on my playing career," Williams told the Reading website.

What comes next?

The Royals are currently 10th in League One with 62 points from 43 games, having recently lost 0-1 to Blackpool on 2026-05-02. Their next fixture is against Farnborough on 2026-07-11. | Stat | Value | | League standing | 10th | | Points | 62 | | Recent form | LLDWL |

Williams thanked everybody at Reading Football Club for everything they have done for him over the last 12 months, especially the fans. He said it has been an honour for him to close out his career at such a fantastic football club.