Real Salt Lake is bringing 26-year-old defender and defensive midfielder Kevon Lambert to the club. The USL’s Phoenix Rising FC announced his transfer to RSL early Wednesday.
Lambert, who was in the last of his two-year contract signed in 2021, is Rising FC’s all-time leader in appearances (161) and was the club’s longest-tenured player before exiting. The Jamaican national team member joined Phoenix in 2017 and scored 15 goals with 10 assists.
“It has been a long ride, but I’ve loved every single moment,” Lambert said in a Rising FC announcement. “We won a lot of trophies. The players and coaches I shared the locker room with. … The staff, the front office, everyone was incredible. I’ve had a lot of great memories here at Phoenix Rising. I’m going to miss it all.
“This is a bittersweet moment because it all went by so fast. I came here as a boy and I’m leaving here as a man. I’ve grown a lot. I’ve learned a lot. The place Phoenix Rising got me to has allowed me to go to the next level. I just want to say thank you to everyone. Thank you. I appreciate you all.”
Lambert will add depth in RSL’s midfield, especially with Pablo Ruiz likely to miss the rest of the regular season after undergoing knee surgery to repair his right meniscus.
The 6-foot-3, 175-pounder was one of the best defensive players in the USL, ranking second in duels won (238) in 2022. Lambert also recently logged 270 minutes with Jamaica at the 2023 CONCACAF Gold Cup, raising his international caps to 23.
“Kev is quiet off the field, but is full of character on the pitch,” Rising head coach Juan Guerra said in the announcement. “He protects his own. You can see he loves his teammates and the club he is playing for, especially when he represents Jamaica. He represents everything Phoenix Rising stands for and has given back so much to the organization.
“We’re going to miss him. He has left such a mark in Phoenix that we now have a clear idea of the type of character we want in new players. As long as we continue to bring in players like him, we’ll be ok.”
