Meet the Lisbies - The EFL Family Taking their Divisions by Storm

The Lisbie Twins: Destined for EFL Greatness

Football history is littered with twins managing to play at a similar level, and at times, even at the same – Man United’s Rafael and Fabio looked so similar that fans were convinced Sir Alex Ferguson swapped them at half time without anyone noticing, while Steven and Ryan Sessegnon (Fulham) and Josh and Jacob Murphy, formerly of Norwich, also took to the field in the same jersey.

Though England’s Leagues One and Two may not be quite as glamorous a place to break through with your sibling as a Premier League side, they are the stomping grounds of hordes of young prospects waiting for their opportunity to shine, and a pair of twin brothers have got bored of waiting – they have made England’s lower tiers their own.

Kyreece Lisbie with a scorcher for Colchester! 🔥@ColU_Official | @EFL pic.twitter.com/FDv3pMMvog

— ITV Football (@itvfootball) August 2, 2025

The two brothers are Kyrell and Kyreece Lisbie, and they are primed to dominate the EFL for countless years to come.

It's In Their Blood

It’s no surprise that Kyrell, of Peterborough United, and Kyreece, of Colchester, have taken to the professional game so seamlessly. After all, their father, Kevin Lisbie, knows all there is about the English football pyramid, having played for 12 sides in the top four tiers of English football in a career which spanned more than 25 years.

Their development was certainly helped by the fact that they were taken into the Leyton Orient academy scheme while Kevin was a player there, and the facilities and high-level coaching allowed the brothers to hone their skills and learn what was needed to follow in their father’s footsteps.

Growing up, Kyrell Lisbie watched his dad, Kevin, become a Charlton legend. Two decades later and he’ll play for non-league Cray Valley in their FA Cup first round clash against Charlton. And it’s at The Valley as well. Love that pic.twitter.com/s0g7nOkz1t

— Jack Kenmare (@jackkenmare_) October 15, 2023

Both 22 years old, their professional careers have been unsurprisingly short-lived so far – their first seasons in the senior game only came last season, when both were on the books at Braintree Town, and in that time, they showed what they were all about, netting 19 goals and a solitary assist between them.

However, the pair also boast experience at a lower level, having turned out for the Cray Valley Paper Mills of the Isthmian South Central League prior to making their way onto the professional circuit.

It was a smart way to start a football career – Kevin had been a star for the club in the twilight years of his career, and thanks to his record of 41 goals in 54 games for the Mills, the club were open to experimenting with his kids.

Kyrell in particular rewarded the club's leap of faith – playing as a winger, the youngster netted 19 times in 29 games, including three in the FA Cup, while Kyreece played just a solitary game for the club – the early indications were that Kyrell had a far higher ceiling.

Despite now officially representing a side, the two wanted more, and they went on various trials at the likes of Watford, West Ham, Colchester and Millwall, all of which were unsuccessful. However, it was after a trial at Brentford that Kyreece’s career began to take off, and, never one to be separated from his brother for long, Kyrell would follow suit.

Onto the Professional Scene

In the summer of 2022, Kyreece signed a one-year deal with optional extensions with Premier League side Brentford to play for the developmental B team, with the potential to be offered a senior contract further down the line. Though he suffered a relatively injury-prone spell at the club, the extra year extension was quickly activated, allowing him a stable, familiar environment to improve in his quest for senior football.

During Kyreece’s spell at the Bees, Kyrell was becoming a mainstay in the Cray Valley PM’s side, scoring against EFL side Charlton in an FA Cup clash. After impressing at a regional level, his talent had become recognised across the lower tiers of England, and in the summer of 2024, he signed for newly-promoted National League side Braintree Town.

Kyrell Lisbie’s twin, Kyreece, was leading the chants for his brother after he bagged tonight in the #EmiratesFACup for @CrayValleyPM 💚 pic.twitter.com/RyKdo7UYw5

— Emirates FA Cup (@EmiratesFACup) November 15, 2023

Back to Kyreece, who, after another injury and some more inconsistent game time, opted to leave Brentford in the 2025 January transfer window, securing a move to League Two Colchester, the first professional club of his career that could potentially offer him regular minutes.

However, when he arrived, the U’s hierarchy clearly saw him as a work in progress and opted to loan him out to the National League for the remainder of the season. So, there was only one logical place to go: he joined his twin at Braintree, reuniting the twins on the same pitch for the first time since their stint at Cray Valley PM’s.

Once again, despite Kyreece coming from a high-ranked parent club, it was permanent player Kyrell who impressed, netting 13 goals across 40 games for the club as the club secured safety by four points. Conversely, Kyreece played just five times, scoring once, before being recalled by Colchester for the final weeks of the season.

The East Anglian side clearly had plans for the right-winger, as he played four League Two fixtures before the season was out, and despite failing to score or assist in any of them, the tone had been set – Kyreece was leading the Lisbie name back into the EFL limelight.

Lisbie Lift Off

Few expected it, but in the seven or so months since the start of the season, Kyreece has become one of Colchester's most important players and is almost certainly a frontrunner for their player of the season award. For a player with no EFL experience prior to this season, a return of 10 goals and six assists represents a remarkable return on their investment.

Kyrell has been having a similarly excellent season in League One – his performances for Braintree were enough to persuade League One Peterborough United to acquire him for an undisclosed fee, and his ability to play anywhere across the front three has helped Posh go from relegation candidates to unexpected play-off chasers.

He has 12 goals and four assists in 35 games for the club, a tally which includes a superb hat trick taken at the weekend against a dismal Wigan and a total of seven goals in his last seven games.

Kyrell Lisbie with a hat-trick for @theposh 💥

That's now 6 G/A in his last four ⚽️⚽️⚽️⚽️⚽️🅰️#FantasyEFL pic.twitter.com/I83q1smm0l

— Fantasy EFL (@FEFLOfficial) February 7, 2026

A leading candidate for the player of the month award in just the second week of February, it is no wonder that Kyrell is now well and truly in the conversation for best winger in League One – his recent form has drawn ever-increasing recognition, and if he continues in this vein, Championship and even Premier League sides will be left with no choice but to take a closer look at him.

Kyreece’s numbers for Colchester have already seen him garner similar interest, with a move to League One Reading falling through on the final day of the January transfer window. The 22-year-old was clearly unhappy that he didn’t get his move, blacking out his Instagram profile picture and posting a cryptic message as a story on the platform.

Kyreece Lisbie on Instagram…#ReadingFC pic.twitter.com/l5lZcDLDtS

— Royals Review Podcast (@RoyalsReviewPod) February 2, 2026

However, despite the disappointment, a move can’t be far away for the up-and-coming attacker, and rumours are persisting that he could once again be reunited with his twin at Peterborough ahead of next season.

Should Kyreece join Kyrell once again, it would underline the progress both players have made since their time at Cray Valley – in the space of two short years, both would have worked their way up from non-league to the third tier, an achievement deserving of considerable recognition in anyone's books.

Furthermore, the two would be operating in the same third of the pitch, meaning their chemistry and unique understanding of each other have the potential to tear any opposing defence to shreds.

Both are still so young, meaning there is still plenty of room to grow and improve – given their trajectory so far, you wouldn’t put it past them to be playing in the Championship, and perhaps even the Premier League, in the near future.

Right now though, the Lisbies are making the lower tiers of the EFL look like child's play – their remarkable journey to the senior scene and the relative ease with which they have taken to it have already garnered plenty of publicity, and if they continue to improve at their current rate, they could soon be leaving a legacy to rival that of football's greatest twins.

Kyreece and Kyrell Lisbie – remember their names.