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Lambe Has What It Takes
Lambe Has What It Takes
Friday, 5th Sep 2008 09:04

Academy midfielder Reggie Lambe has what it takes to make it at the top level, according to Vic Bettinelli, Bermuda's assistant coach during their Digicel Cup campaign, which ended earlier in the week.

Lambe netted four goals in the 7-0 defeat of St Martin, but Bermuda failed to win their other two games and crashed out of the competition.

Bettinelli, who is also an assistant and goalkeeping coach at Fulham's academy, says Lambe, 17, has pace and other aspects to his game which aren't found in every young player: "I think he's got a hell of a chance. He's got very good football intelligence.

"Technically he's got the one thing missing from a lot of players - he's got a trick and he can get past a man and make a numerical advantage.

"That's crucial in modern football. Look at Spain against Germany in the European Championships.

"Germany were big, physical, well organised. Spain had five players under 5ft 7ins but they could all play and that's what made the difference."

Bettinelli says Lambe is in good hands at Playford Road: "It's really competitive, really hard to break into professional football in England. But he's at a good development club in Ipswich Town.

"They are known to produce home-grown players and play attractive football. I know their coach Jim Magilton. He believes in playing football the right way - building from the back and getting the ball out to his wingers. He's at the right club."

Lambe himself says he is looking to win himself a professional deal with the Blues before the end of the season: "I'm really hoping to sign soon."

The winger was pleased with his performance in the academy's first game of the season at Barnsley a fortnight ago, in which he scored in a 2-1 victory: "I played brilliant in that game. If I'd played bad I would say I'd played bad, but that was the best I have ever played for Ipswich."

Lambe, already capped nine times at full international level, was pleased with his four-goal haul against St Martin but was less happy with the subsequent 0-0 draw with the Cayman Islands: "It's a bit disappointing to score four in one game and then not to get any in the next.

"Other players could have stepped up and put away the chances. I think we need to be more clinical in front of goal. Our shots were too easy to save.

"We should have got through after what we did in the World Cup [Bermuda came close to defeating Trinidad and Tobago over two legs], but at the end of the day it's the team that wants it most and works harder.”

Lambe returned to England earlier in the week and is likely to be in the U18 side which takes on Tottenham on Saturday morning.


Photo: Action Images



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