Reading's Lisbie driven by 'proving people wrong'

New Reading signing Tyreece Lisbie says he is keen to "prove people wrong" as he steps up to League One after signing a four-year deal until 2030.

The 22-year-old came through the Leyton Orient and Watford academies, but was not kept on, and was also rejected by League Two Colchester United aged 15.

He then spent two years with Premier League Brentford's 'B team' development squad, before eventually being taken on by Colchester in 2025.

"I've developed a very strong mentality," Lisbie told BBC Radio Berkshire.

"I know my dad (Kevin Lisbie) was a professional footballer, but me and my twin (Kyrell, currently at Peterborough) had lots of rejections, lots of people telling us we weren't good enough.

"Here we are today, climbing up the leagues, inspiring young people. I never had to prove anything to myself, it's proving other people wrong, and that's the hunger that fuels me."

Lisbie scored 11 goals in 45 appearances in 2025-2026, helping Colchester finish 12th, and attracted interest from a number of clubs, including Reading in January.

"The excitement has been there for a while," he added.

"For me, it's probably more relief with how long it's been, and the overriding emotion is generally relief that it's over the line.

"You talk about interest from other clubs, have I made the right decision and so on. That ultimately boils down to me and how I perform.

"You can go elsewhere and have a completely different career, or you can come here and make a name for yourself."

Lisbie's father, Kevin, played briefly for Reading on loan from Charlton in 1999, before getting injured.

While Kevin would have trained in public facilities at Sonning Lane, Reading players now train at the multi-million pound Bearwood Park.

"That's one of the reasons why coming to Reading was a must for me. I saw a video of the training ground," Lisbie added.

"The facilities are Premier League standard.

"I understand that stepping up a league, you're going to be playing with better players and better opposition. That's definitely something I'm excited about.

"This is just my second season in men's football, and there's still so much to learn."

Reading were 19th when Leam Richardson took over in late October, and they finished 12th, 11 points adrift of the play-off places.

Lisbie has high expectations for his new club, targeting promotion.

"I've been reading a lot of talk online about 'big clubs here, big clubs there'. It's important not to forget, Reading is a big club, as well.

"That's something I had to understand, and it was a massive reason why I wanted to come here. I wanted to make a name for myself."