With great pleasure, we can confirm the signing of Jack Lambert.
Jack, aged 27, joins us having spent last season with King’s Lynn Town; however, it is his time at Darlington FC in his native North-East that may be the most memorable, and painful, for Bucks supporters, with Jack scoring a hat-trick against the Bucks in a 4-1 Quakers victory in November 2022.
The attacking midfielder, who has been on trial with the Bucks in pre-season and who scored our winner in the 1-0 victory over Walsall, has signed a deal which will see him make the SEAH Stadium his football home. Manager Kevin Wilkin is keen to help him regain his status as one of the division’s brightest talents.
“Jack was one of the go-to players certainly at this level and on an upward curve, which came to a bit of an abrupt halt for whatever reason. We’ve had plenty of discussions, and Jack wants to get back to that level, and we obviously want to get him back to that level. He knows what he needs to do, and I've seen good signs of that. He's been training with us for a little while and has played several games in pre-season. Jack knows that he needs to keep pushing his fitness levels and his ability to get around. He's still at a good age. If we can help him to get back to the player that he's been at this level, then we've got a real find on our hands.”
Jack, who was born in Newcastle-upon-Tyne, started his career at Middlesbrough but made his first senior appearances north of the border with Dundee FC. After a handful of appearances for the Dens Park outfit, Jack was released and signed for Scunthorpe United.
Loan moves to Darlington and Blyth Spartans followed, but the COVID pandemic brought the season to an unscheduled end, and Jack left The Iron, signing for Icelandic side IBV. The pandemic brought the suspension of IBV’s season and, returning to the UK, Jack signed for Hebburn Town. Although league football was suspended, he did play for them in the FA Vase.
A non-contract offer to join Darlington in the autumn of 2021 was to be the springboard for the best spell of Jack’s career, and his form earned him a full deal at Blackwell Meadows. After 20 goals in 71 appearances, Jack departed for Kidderminster Harriers, but made a return to Darlington on loan before a switch to Chester for the remainder of the 2024-25 season.
Jack departed the Deva that summer and signed for King’s Lynn Town, but has now become a Buck with the Enterprise National League North season a little over a week away.
Asked about how Jack would fit into the Bucks’ style, Kevin intimated that the approach in the coming season will be moulded by the players' assets rather than dogmatically maintaining a style of play.
“I want to be fluent. I want players who can manage the ball, and you have to have players who can manage the ball on our home surface and on lots of the away surfaces. It's about putting together a side, however that looks, whatever that looks like, but I don't want to deviate away from being able to manage the ball and play some attractive football. It will be largely based on that style.”
“It's how players step up and how relentless they can be. Whilst we have lost some good players, we’ve also gained good players as well, like Jack, and they're exciting and eager to go and show themselves again; it's starting to come together now.”
Welcome to the Bucks, Jack!