By Ryan Makuch
AFC Ann Arbor are delighted to confirm the signing of Jamie Lamb ahead of the 2022 USL League Two season. Lamb, born in Auckland, New Zealand, joins fellow Kiwi Malcolm Young as New Zealanders set to join up with AFCAA this summer.
Lamb is coming off an excellent senior campaign with the Campbell Camels of Buies Creek, North Carolina. His Camels went 15-4-2 and earned the Big South Championship with a rousing 7-0 victory over Winthrop, before a 3-2 victory over High Point in the final secured the crown and a trip to the NCAA Tournament. The Camels played their NCAA Tournament opponent, Virginia Tech, though, keeping the match level for 55 of the 90 minutes, but Campbell would ultimately fall, 2-1.
On a personal level, Lamb played a valuable role during his side’s 2021 NCAA run. Receiving an expanded role from his junior year, where he made his impact exclusively off the bench, Lamb would start eight matches and make 15 appearances over the season, in defense and midfield. Lamb scored his lone goal of the season in a 5-1 thrashing of conference foe UNC Asheville.
Prior to his stint in NC, Lamb played two collegiate seasons at PFW (Purdue Fort Wayne, formerly IPFW). While a Mastadon, Lamb made 36 starts, playing a full 90 minutes (or more) no fewer than 28 times during those two seasons.
During this time, the former Celtic youth prospect would also dip his toe into the water of USL2 as he spent his summer season with the Dayton Dutch Lions of the then-PDL in 2018. The expectation is that Lamb’s experience in the league will prove valuable to the side as a collective.
On his newest signing, Men’s Head Coach Rod Asllani would say about Lamb, “Jamie possesses all the qualities necessary that a defensive center mid needs.” Asllani would continue, “He’s very aggressive defensively and a very good passer of the ball (short and long-range) which will help us when in possession. He is also very good in the air and can be a threat in offensive set-pieces as well as give us more security when we’re defending.”
Asllani also touted Lamb’s positional flexibility, saying, “In addition, Jamie can also play as a center back providing us with more options and flexibility when needed.” This is something that Lamb also touted about himself when describing his play style. Lamb said, “I am a holding midfielder that can also play at centre back, I like to find the half spaces to get on the ball and play out through the back and then break lines to enter the attacking third.”
On discussing why he’s choosing to spend his summer of 2022 in Ann Arbor, that vision from the club and coaching staff resonated. Speaking heavily with Club Sporting Director Eric Rudland, Lamb said, “The conversations I had with Eric Rudland showed that the club has the same aspirations as myself for what I hope to come from this summer.”
And what are those aspirations? “I want to strive for more trophies this year and also continue to improve as a player, which is something I believe we can do at Ann Arbor this summer,” Lamb shared. With plenty of experience under his belt, Lamb figures to be able to serve as a leader and a calming presence in the squad.
We, once again, welcome Jamie Lamb into the AFCAA Family and we look forward to welcoming him and the rest of the men’s and women’s squads to Ann Arbor for the 2022 season.
About AFC Ann Arbor
Association Football Club Ann Arbor (AFC Ann Arbor) was founded in 2014 and competes in USL2 (men’s) and USLW (women’s) national amateur leagues. We are a community-based club, focused on equity, justice, and anti-racism. We consider all of our stakeholders, including supporters, players, staff, and ownership to be part of the #AFCAAFamily. Come On You Mighty Oak!