Posted at 17:02h in THE VOICE OF CITY BOYS
It was a rude introduction to Malaysian football for Declan in the Charity Cup match at the home of the champions Johor DT six weeks back. The City Boys produced a below-par performance, lost 3-0, and clearly for the 23-year-old, he knew his display in his official debut that evening left plenty to be desired. Subsequently, he was benched for the 3-3 Super League opener draw with Selangor but came on as a late substitute. He returned to the line-up in the 3-2 loss at Kedah DA and featured towards the end of the FA Cup thrashing of Langkawi City.
When the southerners come to a calling tomorrow (Wednesday) at our home, Declan will be seeking the vindication of his qualities.
“The last time he got the better of me”, said the twin brother of Ryan to The Voice of The City Boys with regards to Johor DT’s (and national) young sensation Ariff Aiman, before quickly retorted, “This time I will be looking to get some redemption. It will be a nice challenge”.
Enter the redemption plan. “We have team tactics and a plan but individually this is the same I have for every game. I need to be aggressive and close down (the) space quickly. Also to not allow opponents time on the ball. Last time I felt I didn’t execute this well enough. This time, these are what I’m going to focus on”, he indicated and acknowledged.
Little do many realise that we are the fifth joint port of call for the Lambert brothers. Call it a package deal of sorts but it is more amazing than not. They played together as youths at Richmond Soccer Club in Melbourne, Australia, before moving to Holland, where they both featured in the highest level of the amateur scene for Achilles ’29. In 2018, the twins moved to FC Den Bosch in the Dutch Second Division (Eerste Divisie), spending three years before Ryan led the jump to Kuala Lumpur midway through last season’s glorious end with the Malaysia Cup triumph, beckoning his brother to join him here soon after.
Immediately he was struck by the warmth of the City Boys and the heat of the day! “The weather is still something that I need time to adjust to. I don’t think I have ever played in such humid and hot conditions”. Honestly, it has been a tough but enjoyable process getting my fitness back and adapting to the conditions in Malaysia.
Otherwise, it’s been a real welcome and a breeze for the natural right-back who can also operate on the left.
“It’s been really easy settling in at KL, not just with Ryan’s help but everyone from the club has been welcoming. There’s a very strong bond within the team and players group which has made it extremely easy to settle in”, he ended.
The Super League Match Day 3 fixture between Kuala Lumpur City and Johor DT is on Wednesday, April 6, 2022, at 10 PM (2200hrs), in Kuala Lumpur Football Stadium, Bandar Tun Razak, Cheras.
Tickets for the Super League match against Johor DT are available at the following link,
tickethotline.com.my/…s/1/Liga Super 2022
For Season Ticket Holders (B2 City Boys), enjoy 20% off regular ticket prices for your friends and/or family. (Limited to a maximum of 4 tickets per transaction. Contact Shamim for details)