Former Reading FC academy graduate Aaron Tshibola is set to come face-to-face with England in the World Cup – a decade after being tipped as one of the Royals’ brightest young prospects.
The 31-year-old midfielder is expected to be part of DR Congo’s squad for their last-32 clash with the Three Lions, completing a remarkable journey from Reading’s academy to football’s biggest tournament.
Tshibola joined Reading’s academy as a teenager and was widely regarded as one of the club’s most promising youngsters. He captained the club’s youth sides, represented England at under-18 level and made his senior debut for the Royals in 2014.
After a successful loan spell at Hartlepool United, he appeared 13 times for Reading before establishing himself in the first team during the 2015/16 season.
His performances earned him a move to Aston Villa in the summer of 2016 for a fee reported to be around £5m, with many believing he would go on to become a regular Championship and Premier League midfielder.
However, his career took a different path.
Loan spells at Nottingham Forest, MK Dons and Kilmarnock followed before permanent moves took him to Belgium, Portugal, Turkey, Cyprus, the United Arab Emirates and Greece.
Now back at Kilmarnock, Tshibola has rebuilt his career while becoming a regular international for DR Congo, having switched allegiance after previously representing England at youth level.
He was named in DR Congo’s World Cup squad after helping the nation qualify for the tournament and has featured during their historic campaign, which has seen the Leopards reach the knockout stages for the first time.
DR Congo booked their meeting with England after beating Uzbekistan 3-1 to secure a place in the last 32, where they will also include several players familiar to English football fans, including former Manchester United defender Aaron Wan-Bissaka and ex-Aston Villa captain Axel Tuanzebe.
For Reading supporters, Tshibola’s appearance against England serves as a reminder of one of the academy’s most highly-rated graduates whose career took him far from Berkshire – but has ultimately led him to the World Cup stage.
