Posted On Friday, March 22nd, 2024

Canadian Teen Striker Christian Lamb signs for 2. Bundesliga SpVgg Greuther Fürth U17s in Winter Transfer

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Canadian Striker Climbs the ranks to pro club SpVgg Greuther Fürth

Last summer, native Ottawa, Canadian Christian Lamb embarked on what he thought would be only a two-week training camp in Bavaria with IFX Soccer.

Initially looking for some overseas experience and with family ties to Germany, Lamb enrolled in the Youth Summer IFX Germany camp in Bayern, an authentic 2-week residential soccer training camp in Fürth. Lamb quickly impressed IFX and partner coaches, showing good potential and leading to the opportunity to sign with IFX partner Academy and club Soccer City / 1. FC Eichsfeld of the U17 Regionalliga Nordost.

Christian Lamb to 2. Bundesliga U17s
“I think the best things I experienced at Soccer City and Eichsfeld was being able to play at a high level and against good competition. I was able to get good exposure through playing well known german clubs. Eichsfeld and Soccer City also gave me the opportunity to be around passionate coaches that continued to help me to develop."
Christian Lamb

Soccer City, based in Lengenfeld unterm Stein in Thüringen, is a German Fussball Internat, or residential soccer boarding program/ Soccer Academy, and partner of 1. FC Eichsfeld.

The German soccer academy provides long-term football and education opportunities for aspiring footballers from Germany and abroad. The Soccer City residence houses approximately 36 players from the ages of 13-17, and facilitates the training and development of the players at the Soccer City facilities, in school at local German high schools where players continue with their secondary education, and with partner German fussball club 1. FC Eichsfeld, where players gain unique experience and exposure through week-in/week-out competition in the official German league system.

Since August, Lamb competed with 1. FC Eichsfeld in the 2nd highest U17 youth division, Regionalliga Nordost, against the likes of Bundesliga clubs such as RB Leipzig, Hertha Berlin, Union Berlin, Hansa Rostock, 1.FC Magdeburg, Hallischer FC, Erzgebirge Aue, Chemnitzer FC, and Rot-Weiss Erfurt in regular season matches. Lamb notched up an impressive 9 goals in 7 games for the U17s. Consistent strong performances led to interest from several Bundesliga clubs for a possible winter transfer.

soccer trials for U17s in Germany
"My experience at the trials were definitely eye opening for me. I was put in professional environments with very competitive sessions.”
Christian Lamb

From November to January, IFX Soccer organized trials for Lamb with pro Bundesliga and German clubs including Energie Cottbus, Erzgebirge Aue, Chemnitzer FC and SpVgg Greuther Fürth. Just days before the January 31 transfer deadline, 2. Bundesliga pro German club SpVgg Greuther Fürth made Lamb the offer to join their ranks with their U17s for the German Rückrunde (Spring season) with the chance to transition to their U19s for the 2024-25 campaign in the U19 Bundesliga, the highest U19 German league.

SpVgg Greuther Fürth is one of Germany’s most traditional clubs, founded in 1903, and remains one of Bavaria’s top professional clubs, whose 1st team currently sits in 4th place in the 2. Bundesliga. The club has competed mostly in the 2. Bundesliga, winning promotion into the 1. Bundesliga in 2012 and again in 2021. Fürth, nicknamed “Kleeblatt”, is a fierce rival of cross-town 2.Bundesliga club 1. FC Nürnberg and this Derby is one of Germany’s oldest and most renowned, dating back to the 1920s when Fürth and Nürnberg were home to most of the German National Team members and when each achieved multiple national championships.

SpVgg Greuther Fürth test

Notable players to have recently worn the Kleeblatt colors include Los Angeles FC and USMNT player Timothy Tillman, and former USMNT player and World Cup veteran Julian Green.

Since early January, Christian Lamb has been working hard to break his way into the team this mid-season, and will have his work cut out for himself. He made a successful debut in test match, where Fürth defeated FC Augsburg in a 3-1 victory, then faced FC Ingolstadt and traveled to Czech Republic, where they competed against Slavia Prague. This past weekend, they scored a resounding 7-0 victory against VfR Heilbronn 1896. Fürth, currently sits mid-table in the U17 Bayernliga ahead of the Spring season, looking at some tough competition with the likes of SpVgg Unterhaching (league leaders), FC Bayern München, 1.FC Nürnberg, FC Augsburg, FC Memmingen, FC Schweinfurt, SpVgg Bayreuth and Würzburger Kickers in their division.

"I am excited to start this next chapter at Greuther Fürth and continue to develop in this new environment. I can't wait for the season to start and to continue to play against strong competition with big names like Bayern Munich and 1.FC Nürnberg. I’m excited to see where this journey can take me.”
Christian Lamb

Lamb’s signing with SpVgg Greuther Fürth marks a huge step forward on this youngster’s international football pathway and we will continue to share Lamb’s progress throughout the Spring campaign. We wish Christian and das Kleeblatt the best of luck this season!

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