Reading chief Nicky Hammond is confident their two January signings will make an impact during the remainder of this season.

Royals paid around £1million to Mlada Boleslav for Marek Matejovsky, while Jimmy Kebe joined for £400,000 from French Second Division outfit Boulogne, where he was on loan from Lens.

Hammond told the Reading Evening Post: "People would have said that the signings in the past were unheard of, going back to Dave Kitson, Kevin Doyle and Nicky Shorey, who was playing in Leyton Orient reserves.

"There has been a line of them over time and although people didn't know the two lads we have brought in this window, Matejovsky's a good player. There's no question about that.

"There is always a period of adjustment. Jimmy is a strange one. He's a player that every time we saw he had a massive effect on the game.

"He's quick. I'm not sure how fast, but I think he'd be the quickest at the club now. He'll bring us something different and we hope he'll have an impact before the end of the season."

Hammond added: "It escaped us why he wasn't playing in the French First Division.

"I think sometimes in Europe if players don't fit they go out on loan and almost get lost to the club system.

"We're thorough in our diligence of looking at players. We had seen him over a period of time and in the wacky world of the Premiership it was a small deal and we feel it's a decent take. Hopefully it will prove to be so."