Former Ghana defender Andy Yiadom joins AFC Wimbledon on five-month deal

Former Ghana defender Andy Yiadom has joined AFC Wimbledon on a five-month contract that will keep him with the club until January 2027. The 34-year-old right-back had spent several weeks training with Johnnie Jackson’s squad before completing the move.

Yiadom adds experience and defensive cover to Wimbledon’s squad, having made almost 400 appearances across the English Football League’s three divisions. Jackson has also identified the defender’s leadership and character as qualities that can strengthen the group.

The move gives Yiadom another opportunity to continue a long career in the English game. He first made a name for himself at Barnet, where he registered 177 appearances after moving from a wide attacking role into defence. He was part of the team that won the Conference title in the 2014/15 season and was selected in the division’s Team of the Year.

His performances earned him a move to Barnsley on a free transfer in 2016. Yiadom helped the club preserve its Championship status and later became captain during the 2017/18 campaign, underlining his growing influence within the squad.

He moved to Reading in May 2018 after his Barnsley contract expired. Proposed Premier League transfers to Huddersfield Town and Swansea City had previously failed to go through. Yiadom then spent eight years at Reading, making 253 appearances and receiving the club’s Player of the Season award for 2021/22.

His arrival gives AFC Wimbledon an experienced defender with a substantial record in the EFL and at international level with Ghana. The short-term agreement provides the club with additional cover in defence through January 2027, while Yiadom begins the latest stage of his English football career.