SLFC signs experienced midfielder for 2016-17 I-League season
SHILLONG: In what can be termed as a homecoming, Rocus Lamare will be seen donning the Shillong Lajong FC jersey this I-League with the India midfielder joining the northeast club which he had once played for as a teenager.
Lamare is expected to bring in a wealth of experience to the otherwise youthful Lajong side in the 2016-17 I-League season.
In a statement issued here on Tuesday, SLFC said that it was pleased to welcome back one of its own players, Lamare, to the club ahead of the I-League.
Lamare has had a highly successful career at the club level and has also represented the Indian national team. He began his football career as a teenager at Lajong in 2001 before being signed by Mohun Bagan in 2003-2004. He, however, spent most of his playing years at Goan club Salgaocar, where his reputation rose as a midfielder.
He was the first Lajong product to go on to play for other National League clubs and the Indian National team. In a sense he was the pathfinder for other Lajong members, like Aiborlang Khongjee and Eugeneson Lyngdoh, who have also gone on to find success and don the national team colours.
The midfielder joined Salgaocar in 2004 and played for them until the just concluded 2015-16 season. During this time his club won the I-League in 2010-11, the 2011 Federation Cup and the Durand Cup in 2014. His one season at Mohun Bagan also yielded the IFA Shield for his side.
A promising prospect since his youth days, the Shillong-born Lamare has played for the U-17, U-20 and U-23 national squads and made his senior team debut in 2007. He last donned Indian colours in 2013 after making 14 appearances for the country and winning the regional SAFF Championship in 2011.
“A versatile and respected footballer, Lamare’s return to Lajong is a perfect fit as his experience will be vital for his youthful team mates, who will no doubt look for guidance from one of the Club’s most successful products,” the Club release said.
Meanwhile, SLFC Managing Director Larsing Ming Sawyan said that Lamare is the first Lajong product to play for the Indian National Team and his return to Lajong is aimed to mentor the young Lajong players as they embark on their journey to make a mark in the National football scene.