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Former Reading midfielder Leandro Bacuna has opened up on his deadline day move to Cardiff City.

The 27-year-old signed for the Premier League club at the end of January, just hours before the 11pm deadline.

And he admitted he was 'ready to leave' Royals as he wanted to pursue aspirations of playing in the top flight again, having had a flavour of it with former club Aston Villa.

"I heard some rumours that it was on and off, it could have happened a week or two before," he said to Wales Online .

"You never know in the January window, anything can happen. It was a last-minute thing.

"It was quite hectic — and you've got to wait until the last minute — but I knew there was some interest and I was ready to leave.

"I was looking forward to coming back (to the Premier League) to show my skills. Neil [Warnock, Cardiff boss] called me and told me I could be a good boost for the team."

Bacuna spent just a year and a half with Reading, scoring five goals in 66 games. His Royals exit came as somewhat of a surprise after he had developed a promising partnership with Andy Rinomhota in the first half of the campaign.

(Image: Get Reading)

However, Jose Gomes' side decided to part company with the Curacao international for a reported fee of around £3m.

The versatile player is yet to start in a Bluebirds shirt, only coming off the bench in two matches, but he insists he is ready to 'settle down' and become an integral part of the Welsh club's future.

"I came here to settle down," added Bacuna. "And as the manager said, he thinks I can stick to his style, the way he wants to play.

"I feel very happy at the moment. Moving house is always busy but I think I've almost finished and I'm ready to go.

"Cardiff seems a very nice place and I think I'll invite people over — I don't know if they'll come from Reading to Cardiff but you never know."