Declan Stephen Lambert Lee Kit Meng (born 21 September 1998) is a Malaysian professional footballer who plays as a defender for Malaysia Super League side Kuala Lumpur City, on loan from Johor Darul Ta'zim, and the Malaysia national team.
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Declan Stephen Lambert Lee Kit Meng[1] | ||
| Date of birth | 21 September 1998 | ||
| Place of birth | Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia | ||
| Height | 1.80 m (5 ft 11 in)[2] | ||
| Position(s) | Defender | ||
| Team information | |||
Current team |
Kuala Lumpur City (on loan from Johor Darul Ta'zim) | ||
| Number | 12 | ||
| Youth career | |||
| FC Clifton Hill | |||
| Richmond SC | |||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 2016–2017 | Richmond | 24 | (1) |
| 2018 | Achilles '29 | 12 | (0) |
| 2018–2021 | FC Den Bosch | 30 | (0) |
| 2022–2024 | Kuala Lumpur City | 41 | (1) |
| 2024– | Johor Darul Ta'zim | 0 | (0) |
| 2024– | → Kuala Lumpur City (loan) | 11 | (0) |
| International career‡ | |||
| 2022– | Malaysia | 1 | (0) |
|
*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 29 September 2024 ‡ National team caps and goals, correct as of 22 September 2022 | |||
Lambert was born in Kuala Lumpur, but then moved to Thailand and Australia at a young age. He played youth football with Richmond before starting his senior career with the side. In 2018, Lambert moved to the Netherlands, where he played for lower division sides Achilles '29 and FC Den Bosch. In February 2022, he returned to his birthplace and signed for Kuala Lumpur City. He has also represented Malaysia at international level, having made his debut for the national team in September 2022.
Early life
editLambert was born in Kuala Lumpur to an English father and Malaysian mother. The family then moved to Thailand, where they stayed for six months before relocating again to Melbourne, Australia.[3]
He has a twin brother, Ryan, who is also a professional footballer. The two played together at Clifton Hill, Richmond, Achilles '29 and FC Den Bosch.[3]
Club career
editAfter playing youth football for FC Clifton Hill and Richmond, Lambert made his senior debut for Richmond aged 17.[4]
In 2018, the Lambert twins moved to Europe, and trialed with sides including Sparta Rotterdam and FC Dordrecht.[5] The pair eventually signed for Dutch Tweede Divisie side Achilles '29.[4] However, they left the club after it suffered relegation at the end of the 2017–18 Tweede Divisie.[3]
The twins then moved to Dutch Eerste Divisie side FC Den Bosch in 2018. Their first-team opportunities were initially limited by the arrival of several other foreign players shortly after their signing.[3] However, Lambert made his debut in the 2019–20 Eerste Divisie and by the 2020–21 Eerste Divisie season, was a regular starter for the side.[6]
On 22 February 2022, Lambert signed for Malaysia Super League side Kuala Lumpur City.[7]
International career
editLambert was called up to the Malaysia national team for the first time in September 2022. He made his debut on 22 September in a friendly match against Thailand, scoring one of Malaysia's goals in a penalty shoot-out win.[8]
References
edit- ^ "MOH vs KLC". fifa.com. Retrieved 22 September 2022.
- ^ Strack-Zimmermann, Benjamin. "Declan Lambert (Player)". national-football-teams.com. Retrieved 16 December 2022.
- ^ a b c d Smeur, Joris (20 December 2018). "Australische tweeling blijft bij Jong FC Den Bosch knokken voor een plekje" [Aussie twins continue to fite for a spot at Jong FC Den Bosch]. BD.nl (in Dutch). Retrieved 15 October 2019.
- ^ a b Davidson, John (15 March 2018). "Meet the young Aussie twins battling to break through in Europe". The World Game. Retrieved 15 October 2019.
- ^ Interview with Ryan Lambert - Part 1 of 2 - 29 June 2019. YouTube. 2 October 2019. Retrieved 15 October 2019.
- ^ Martens, Jan (14 November 2020). "Bossche 'Aussies' Declan en Ryan Lambert: broers van de lange adem" [Bosch 'Aussies' Declan and Ryan Lambert: Brothers take a deep breath]. BD.nl. Retrieved 11 December 2020.
- ^ "Kembar Ryan Lambert Sertai Pasukan Juara Piala Malaysia 2021". Sukanz. 22 February 2022. Retrieved 22 September 2022.
- ^ "Thailand vs. Malaysia – 22 September 2022". soccerway.com. Retrieved 22 September 2022.
External links
edit- Declan Lambert at Soccerway
- Career stats & Profile – Voetbal International