When his loan spell at Wednesday finished the club made it public that they were trying to find a buyer to take him on a permanent basis. Reading have eventually achieved that to successfully reduce the wage bill and also give the player another chance to rebuild his career.
Drenthe failed to overly impress in Sheffield after making 7 starts and a further 8 appearances off the bench. He managed a single goal but also picked up a red card during his short stay at the club. He signed for Reading in the summer of 2013 and had a series of up and down performances for the Royals before losing his place in the starting eleven.
At times he seriously impressed, including his Reading debut, and looked a top quality player but was disappointing in other games before incidents caused a split between the player and management. In the 2013/2014 season he made 17 starts in the league and seven further substitute appearances in league and cup. He scored two goals for Reading during his time at the club.
| Royston Drenthe - His Record at Reading | |
| Starts | 17 |
| Substitute Appearances | 7 |
| Goals | 2 |
| Yellow Cards | 4 |
| Red Cards | 0 |
| Debut | 3 August 2013: Reading 2 Ipswich Town 1 |
| Last Game | 14 April 2014: Reading 1 Leicester City 1 |