LONDON, CMC – Bermudian midfielder Reggie Lambe says he remains “positive” he will find a new club after being released by English outfit Cambridge United, and insists he is keen to continue wearing his national team shirt.
The writing appeared on the wall for 29-year-old Lambe at mid-table Cambridge as he played for Bermuda in a friendly against Jamaican in Montego Bay on March 11 when there was no international window and no obligation for League Two Cambridge to release him.
Confirmation followed when he was among those let go after two seasons with Cambridge.
“It was a bit of a shock, but to be fair I haven’t played in my proper position consistently at all this season due to many of our players picking up injuries,” said Lambe of his exit from Cambridge.
“I was required to play more defensively, which is an aspect of my game that I wouldn’t say is my best attribute.
“It was a conversation I had with the manager (Mark Bonner) and, as I wasn’t involved in his plans, I made the decision to travel with the squad to Jamaica to at least get some playing time,” Lambe, a former Bermuda captain, said.
By the time he returned to England, the coronavirus pandemic had put a stop to the season, and he had played his last match for Cambridge – a 2-1 home defeat by former club Carlisle United in which Lambe scored a consolation goal, his second of the season in 27 league appearances. “I believe that the season could’ve gone better, especially by the way we started it,” said Lambe.
“But, of course, a lot of injuries and changes to the team due to these injuries caused our momentum to shift and we were not able to pick up the points that we had expected to pick up. It was a bit upsetting but these things happen in football and you can never really plan for those scenarios.”
Lambe, who is approaching his 10th year in the English leagues, has been released before but there is no template for an older player from the lower leagues trying to find a new club in the middle of a pandemic which has already killed more than 37,000 people in Britain.
“I am staying positive,” he said. “It will be a tough task this summer to find a club due to many good players being available after being released from their clubs.
“With that being said, I believe in my ability and work ethic, so I’m pretty confident I could find a club that I’d be suited to and get an opportunity to showcase my talent.
