Thomas Lam has become the latest Eredivisie player to switch the Netherlands for England following the influx of Dutch imports last summer. So what can Forest fans expect from their new acquisition?
- By Michael Statham
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The defender emerged from AZ’s youth academy but after struggling to get games as he reached 20, he moved on to sign for PEC Zwolle in 2014. Two years later, the Finn has become a regular for Zwolle and holds five caps for his country.
Despite standing at 1.88 metres tall, Lam is not your typical towering Championship defender. A lot of Lam’s 32 games last season came at centre-back, which typically in the Eredivisie does not require great physical capabilities. He is, however, elegant on the ball, and was utilised more frequently as a defensive midfielder for Zwolle before injuries at the back forced manager Ron Jans to deploy Lam in central defence and occasionally at right-back too.
The 22-year-old also plays as a midfielder for Finland due to his ability to both play and win the ball along with being adept at positioning off the ball.
Lam arrives at the City Ground with 66 Eredivisie games under his belt accompanied by Europa League experience. He helped PEC Zwolle finish sixth and eighth in the Dutch top flight in his two years at the club as well as starting on the losing side in the domestic cup final in 2015.
Is he good enough for Forest? Yes, in short. Although he may find it difficult to win aerial battles against the division’s biggest strikers, his strength is something that can be improved. He should be at a good enough level to be a starter for The Reds but new manager Philippe Montanier may be better off unleashing Lam in the CDM role, where his comfort on the ball and ball-winning mentality can be exploited most.
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Writer/interviewer/YouTuber for Football-Oranje. Massive Dutch football fan from the UK. Follow me @EredivisieMike & subscribe to Football-Oranje on YouTube.
