Reading signing Hope Akpan is confident he can prove himself Premier League class.

Akpan signed from League One Crawley on Tuesday and wants to establish himself as a driving force in the heart of Reading's midfield.

The 21-year-old said: "When I was younger I used to love Patrick Vieira and now I like to watch Yaya Toure a lot - I think he's just the modern day complete footballer.

"He's got everything. First and foremost though, the fans will see that I will give it my all and work hard for the team.

"It was definitely the dream to play in the Premier League and I never lost the belief that I could. I trained with the first team [at Everton] quite a lot so I learned a lot technically and about how Premier League players carry themselves. I'm used to the first team environment in the Premier League so hopefully I can use that experience here at Reading.

"From when I was a very young kid through growing up at Everton, it was a real education - a real schooling. I loved my time there and it was disappointing when I had to leave but I think leaving was a blessing in disguise. I feel like I've taken a step back to take a step forward."