Jacob Borgnis (Reading | England)

Full name is Jacob Hammond-Chambers-Borgnis.
Three dads as they say, or triple posh.

https://www.friendsoffootballnz.com/2025/07/14/young-kiwi-agrees-new-deal-with-english-league-one-club-reading/

Jacob Borgnis, a young player with New Zealand citizenship, has signed an extension to his professional contract with English League One club Reading.

Borgnis (22) has been at Reading since 2021 and has extended his deal for next season.

He can play as a defender or midfielder.

Last season, he was an ever-present in the club’s U-21 team, making 15 appearances and captaining the team in their last four Premier League 2 fixtures.

Substitution for the Royals

ON ⬆️ Stevens, Trialist B, Ahmed, Spencer, Okine-Peters, Borgnis, Osho
OFF⬇️ Pereira, Abrefa, Wing, Savage, Sackey, Garcia and Camara pic.twitter.com/GV5DHUbNSP

— Reading FC (@ReadingFC) July 12, 2025

Hopefully he's inspired by a front row seat to Bindon's career taking off, both club and international.

Not sure he's a Kiwi, is he? Isn't this just a result of erroneous data entry - being next to Bindon on the team website, someone must have inputted New Zealand twice?

Funny if true.
Bindon
Borgnis - probably next on the club player list so yeah very possible.

Transfermarkt, Football Manager and even Reading's club website all have him as a NZ citizen.
https://www.readingfc.co.uk/players/u21/jacob-borgnis/

Enough to suck in Friends of Football in this case?
Ever been in any NZ age group teams?

IMG_8376.jpeg 433.34 KB

Confirmed - Borgnis is eligible

If he gets decent mins he could be the bolter. 

Guys… Borgnis can play RB. If he kicks on, could he be our saviour?

At this stage any player playing pro football at right back can be our saviour.

As has been the case for the All Whites since Chris Zorovich.

We don't need a saviour... I know a lot of people on here have a massive inferiority complex and believe that nobody in the A-League could be good enough for international football but Payne is a better player than Garbett, Just, Singh etc and not our weak link. Australia did well at the last world cup with A-League players starting for them, and A-League players played a significant role in their recent qualification campaign too. 

Friar Tuck

Guys… Borgnis can play RB. If he kicks on, could he be our saviour?

*Can play* RB vs *is a* RB has been a problem forever, not sure if this changes anything.

imanixsupporter

We don't need a saviour... I know a lot of people on here have a massive inferiority complex and believe that nobody in the A-League could be good enough for international football but Payne is a better player than Garbett, Just, Singh etc and not our weak link. Australia did well at the last world cup with A-League players starting for them, and A-League players played a significant role in their recent qualification campaign too. 

Significant?

Socceroos starting 11 against Saudi in their last (high stakes) match.
Ryan (RC Lens) , Miller (Hibs), Geria (Albirex Niigata, Japan), Degenek (Topola, Serbia), Burgess (Ipswich), Behich (Melb City), O'Neil (New York City, MLS), Yazbek (Nashville SC, MLS), Metcalfe (FC St Pauli), Boyle (Hibs) & Duke (Machida Zelvia, Japan).

Unlike Payne (wouldn't be close to a Socceroos selection conversation), Behich has played at a higher level than the A League.

djtim3000

Friar Tuck

Guys… Borgnis can play RB. If he kicks on, could he be our saviour?

*Can play* RB vs *is a* RB has been a problem forever, not sure if this changes anything.

This is true, I’m not familiar enough with him as a player to know what his best position is, but he did primarily play as a RB for Reading’s PL2 team this season.

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Only time will tell what his best position is and whether he’ll actually crack senior football of course.

imanixsupporter

We don't need a saviour... I know a lot of people on here have a massive inferiority complex and believe that nobody in the A-League could be good enough for international football but Payne is a better player than Garbett, Just, Singh etc and not our weak link. Australia did well at the last world cup with A-League players starting for them, and A-League players played a significant role in their recent qualification campaign too. 

Payne is not a bad player, but I think it may be pushing it a touch to say he's better than Just and Singh...

Khalil Media

imanixsupporter

We don't need a saviour... I know a lot of people on here have a massive inferiority complex and believe that nobody in the A-League could be good enough for international football but Payne is a better player than Garbett, Just, Singh etc and not our weak link. Australia did well at the last world cup with A-League players starting for them, and A-League players played a significant role in their recent qualification campaign too. 

Payne is not a bad player, but I think it may be pushing it a touch to say he's better than Just and Singh...

I don’t know- Payne has had some pretty impressive attacking numbers and combinations over the past two seasons: 4 goals and eight assists. Especially considering how dire we were last season. He would have got more if we’d attacked more. 

Then on top of that he’s defended from RB and CB too. And distributed as a CB. 

Just 10 goals and 5 assists in the last two years in not a particularly strong league. 
Singh 5 and 5, though admittedly some of that was in Bundesliga 2, but he only scored once in 24 games and limited minutes per game there.

Frank de Vries has had a great season, but is struggling getting up and down a bit and chasing down speedy players after his surgery. 

Payne has had some very impressive games in the last couple of years. And it’s not even a case of not being flashy. He’s done some bloody flashy things in that time. I think we’re blinded by how he was playing when Uffie was here. He was good then, but he was delivering early aerial bombardment to find Hooper. Now he’s interchanging short passes, hitting balls in behind for runners, getting to the byline and rifling passes across or cutting in and shooting himself. 

And he signed on long term. Imagine how f-d we’d have been last outing if he wasn’t. 

None of Garbett, Just, Singh have ever delivered consistently over the course of multiple seasons in a league as good or better than the A-League. Singh had one half decent season in Bundesliga 2 but that was years ago now.

They have (possibly had in Singh's case) more potential but they have yet to deliver on it. Payne is better at right back right now than they are at their respective positions. When I look at the best All Whites XI it is the positions around Chris Wood where we need to see the most improvement. 

Behich played and bombed in the SPL, I’d take Payne over him in a heartbeat. 

coochiee

imanixsupporter

We don't need a saviour... I know a lot of people on here have a massive inferiority complex and believe that nobody in the A-League could be good enough for international football but Payne is a better player than Garbett, Just, Singh etc and not our weak link. Australia did well at the last world cup with A-League players starting for them, and A-League players played a significant role in their recent qualification campaign too. 

Significant?

Socceroos starting 11 against Saudi in their last (high stakes) match.
Ryan (RC Lens) , Miller (Hibs), Geria (Albirex Niigata, Japan), Degenek (Topola, Serbia), Burgess (Ipswich), Behich (Melb City), O'Neil (New York City, MLS), Yazbek (Nashville SC, MLS), Metcalfe (FC St Pauli), Boyle (Hibs) & Duke (Machida Zelvia, Japan).

Unlike Payne (wouldn't be close to a Socceroos selection conversation), Behich has played at a higher level than the A League.

Payne didn't make it in the UK either. Lots of good footballers have bad years in different leagues.

Behich is a big game player.

Almost scored what would have been a high class goal at the Qatar WC verus Argentina (Socceroos very close to taking Argy to ET), after a mazy run. Got the winner against Japan recently to basically secure WC qualification for Aussie.

Captained Melb City to the toilet seat in June. He's played in the Turkish Superliga, Eredivisie and SPL.

I like Payne as a bloke, but lets be honest he's an ALM journeyman.

But my main point is Imanix's narrative that the Socceroos have a heavy important number of ALM players is false. The ALM is a great development league, but like the Socceroos the AWs are heading in the direction of picking almost all their starting lineup from Europe/MLS.

Nearly all of Australia's top lineup are experienced battle hardened pros, age 24 plus. And that means you will most likely have left the ALM by that age, if you are talented enough. We are going the same way.

Socceroos starting 11 against Saudi in their last (high stakes) match.
Ryan (RC Lens) , Miller (Hibs), Geria (Albirex Niigata, Japan), Degenek (Topola, Serbia), Burgess (Ipswich), Behich (Melb City), O'Neil (New York City, MLS), Yazbek (Nashville SC, MLS), Metcalfe (FC St Pauli), Boyle (Hibs) & Duke (Machida Zelvia, Japan).


Sorry off topic. I did have a quick look and I don't think Borgnis has played any pre season stuff for Reading seniors.

MetalLegNZ

Payne didn't make it in the UK either. Lots of good footballers have bad years in different leagues.

IIRC Rovers wanted to re-sign Payne but he was unable to get a work permit. NZ was ranked too low & Commonwealth Visas stopped being a thing (that is how Ryan Nelsen had got his work permit initially).

I think it’s tough to argue Payne is a journeyman on the basis of a lot of clubs argument. He’s been loyal to the Phoenix. 

And I’d argue that while he has had some inconsistent performances, these last two seasons have been two of his best. It’s very harsh to call him a bang average or journeyman player in my books. He’s been in our top 3-4 for the last two seasons and important in Kosta finding his mojo again.  His game has improved and he’s showed he can handle one touch as adroitly as he can send early aerial assaults into the box. 

Legacy wise for him an important season ahead I guess. Some big contributions at a World Cup always help people remember you well. 

Sorry thread derail. 

Agree I was a bit harsh on Payne. I'm guessing he could probably be okay at say a lower to middling SPL club (since that league is being mentioned). But at 31, if he leaves the ALM now you'd think it will be somewhere in Asia. To say he is a better player than Behich - no way, Jose.

Sorry Jacob Borgnis.

Think the difference here is Payne was a Yard player and came through the ranks at Blackburn as a midfielder and had a number of years developing in youth and reserve teams. Behich parachuted in as a “star signing” for Dundee United and was awful 

MetalLegNZ

Payne didn't make it in the UK either. Lots of good footballers have bad years in different leagues.

A proud night for the Borgnis family as Jacob is joined by his brother Toby in a matchday squad for the first time 💙 pic.twitter.com/9xkSVMmOKi

— Reading FC (@ReadingFC) September 2, 2025

There’s another Borgnis, Reading u18 goalkeeper Toby.

Be nice is we could somehow magically turn one of the big number of European based NZ eligible GKs, into a promising Wood heir apparent striker. 

coochiee

Be nice is we could somehow magically turn one of big number of European based NZ eligible GKs, into a promising Wood heir apparent striker. 

All we're good at is catching balls (so to speak)

Niche Cache.
Jacob Borgnis (the older defender brother) actually made his senior Reading debut recently.

Greeny has plenty of CBs to chose from for his U20s


Jacob Borgnis is a tall central defender who has been around the Reading U21s team for a couple of years and signed a one-year extension with the PL2 squad back in July. The 20yo featured regularly last season and began captaining them towards the end of that campaign. As for Toby Borgnis, he’s a few years younger (still around the U18s team) and is a goalkeeper. If you really want to get specific, their full names are actually Jacob and Tobias Hammond-Chambers-Borgnis. Fortunately, they seem to just go by Borgnis.

The brothers are both eligible for New Zealand thanks to a kiwi mother. Jacob’s even listed as a New Zealander on his Reading FC club profile (Toby doesn’t have one of those yet). Neither has represented Aotearoa to date – it’s a pity that Jacob is a couple months too old for the upcoming U20 World Cup. As to them sharing the same matchday squad... that’s a bit of a stretch because Tobias was only a training player for Reading’s 3-2 EFL Trophy loss away against Swindon Town. He warmed up with the travelling squad but wasn’t included on the bench, merely brought along as the third keeper in a rotated midweek squad that didn’t feature their usual gloveman Joel Pereira.

Jacob was included though. What’s more, they even subbed him on for the last ten minutes to mark a senior debut for the lad, who had also featured a bit in preseason for the first team. Hopefully picking up where Tyler Bindon left off at the Royals.

That means that in the last eight days, on top of all the established All Whites who’ve joined English clubs and seem to be settling in magnificently, we’ve had emerging youngsters Marley Leuluai (Burnley) and Joe Wallis (West Brom) making first team benches and Jacob Borgnis getting a senior debut. As well as Henry Gray (Ipswich) being called up for the All Whites. How good!?

coochiee

Niche Cache.
Jacob Borgnis (the older defender brother) actually made his senior Reading debut recently.

Greeny has plenty of CBs to chose from for his U20s


Jacob Borgnis is a tall central defender who has been around the Reading U21s team for a couple of years and signed a one-year extension with the PL2 squad back in July. The 20yo featured regularly last season and began captaining them towards the end of that campaign. As for Toby Borgnis, he’s a few years younger (still around the U18s team) and is a goalkeeper. If you really want to get specific, their full names are actually Jacob and Tobias Hammond-Chambers-Borgnis. Fortunately, they seem to just go by Borgnis.

The brothers are both eligible for New Zealand thanks to a kiwi mother. Jacob’s even listed as a New Zealander on his Reading FC club profile (Toby doesn’t have one of those yet). Neither has represented Aotearoa to date – it’s a pity that Jacob is a couple months too old for the upcoming U20 World Cup. As to them sharing the same matchday squad... that’s a bit of a stretch because Tobias was only a training player for Reading’s 3-2 EFL Trophy loss away against Swindon Town. He warmed up with the travelling squad but wasn’t included on the bench, merely brought along as the third keeper in a rotated midweek squad that didn’t feature their usual gloveman Joel Pereira.

Jacob was included though. What’s more, they even subbed him on for the last ten minutes to mark a senior debut for the lad, who had also featured a bit in preseason for the first team. Hopefully picking up where Tyler Bindon left off at the Royals.

That means that in the last eight days, on top of all the established All Whites who’ve joined English clubs and seem to be settling in magnificently, we’ve had emerging youngsters Marley Leuluai (Burnley) and Joe Wallis (West Brom) making first team benches and Jacob Borgnis getting a senior debut. As well as Henry Gray (Ipswich) being called up for the All Whites. How good!?

Jacob Borgnis is too old for this year's FIFA U-20 World Cup (turns 21 on Saturday). 

Whoops dumb me. Niche Cache even states it in the article. 

Anyway Borgnis at Reading and Dupont (on a senior deal) at WBA looking like being too very promising CB prospects in the UK

Borgnis scores in his starting debut for the Reading senior team (though they essentially fielded an u23 team bar a couple of players). 

A 3-1 win over West Ham u21s in the EFL Trophy.

Looks like he played as a CB?

Friar Tuck

Borgnis scores in his starting debut for the Reading senior team (though they essentially fielded an u23 team bar a couple of players). 

A 3-1 win over West Ham u21s in the EFL Trophy.

Looks like he played as a CB?

⚽️ Jacob Borgnis slams home his first senior goal for the Royals! pic.twitter.com/O22XMERcin

— Reading FC (@ReadingFC) October 1, 2025

FULL TIME! Sean Patton's first Reading goal, in the dying stages of the match, is enough for victory! pic.twitter.com/jOzkh4cLC5

— Reading FC (@ReadingFC) October 7, 2025

Jacob hits the assist of the free kick for the match winner!

2 games 1 Goal and 1 assist. Good way to start your senior career for a CB

Loaned out to Slough in the National League South. Decent move - the fact he's 21 means he needs to kick on fast, and if he impresses at this level he's sure to make a rise with Reading's focus on youth promotion

Side note: despite NZ's dismal results at the U17 World Cup, his brother Toby looks a hell of a keeper. Good robust frame for his age and an commanding head on his shoulders that belies his youth. One to look out for

mrsmiis

Loaned out to Slough in the National League South. Decent move - the fact he's 21 means he needs to kick on fast, and if he impresses at this level he's sure to make a rise with Reading's focus on youth promotion

Side note: despite NZ's dismal results at the U17 World Cup, his brother Toby looks a hell of a keeper. Good robust frame for his age and an commanding head on his shoulders that belies his youth. One to look out for

Didnt realize Jacob was born in New Zealand (According to the Slough Town press release).

Good luck to him though. He should get a fair few opportunities given the struggles of Slough so far this season.

Your Rebels to start this season's Isuzu FA Trophy campaign. 🏆

Four changes from midweek as Oshilaja, Drakes-Thomas, Goddard and new signing Jacob Borgnis come in for Dyce, Anyanwu, Myers and Adepoju.#OneSlough #IsuzuFAtrophy pic.twitter.com/zncaxyGNEO

— Slough Town FC (@sloughtownfc) November 15, 2025

Stright into the starting side. Full game with a yellow, lost in Pens