Real Salt Lake to add another USL star in Phoenix Rising MF Kevon Lambert

The 26-year-old Jamaican international joins RSL after becoming Phoenix's longest tenured player in the club's USL Championship history.

Real Salt Lake isn’t done making moves.

The MLS side will add Phoenix Rising FC midfielder Kevon Lambert via permanent transfer from the second-division club, pending MLS approval.

The Arizona Republic was the first to report the deal involving the Rising team captain. Sources confirmed to Salt City FC that the deal is expected to be finalized as early as Wednesday morning.

Lambert will wear No. 31 with Real Salt Lake.

The transfer is not restricted to the international transfer window which closed Aug. 2 because it is a domestic transaction, according to sources. Lambert is expected to be eligible post-haste for RSL, pending things like a physical and coaching decisions, obviously.

MLS clubs have until the roster freeze Sept. 13 to make domestic moves.

Update: Lambert has arrived in Utah and begun altitude adjustment and other tests to be immediately eligible for the club. He practiced Wednesday with the first team.

“I’m extremely excited for this amazing opportunity,” he said. “I arrived in Phoenix as a boy and now I leave there as a man, a man now focused on doing whatever I can to help RSL win trophies this season and provide the club a solid, dependable, versatile long-term piece. I’m proud to be the latest in a long line of Jamaican internationals to call Salt Lake home, and I look forward to representing the shield and playing before this spectacular fan base.”

The 26-year-old midfielder joining Rising in 2017 and was in the final year of a two-year contract that he re-signed in 2021. Phoenix’s all-time leader in appearances across all competitions, Lambert has been described as one of the top defensive midfielders in the second-division USL Championship.

Lambert scored 15 goals and 10 assists in 161 appearances with Rising, helping the club to Western Conference championships in 2018 and 2020, in addition to the USL Championship regular-season title in 2019 (when Real Monarchs won the postseason USL Cup title prior to the founding of third-division MLS NEXT Pro).

He represented Phoenix in three games of the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup this season, making him “cup-tied” and thus ineligible to appear for RSL during next week’s semifinal at Houston.

In 2023, Lambert made 15 appearances for Rising with one goal, while also helping Jamaica to the semifinals of the CONCACAF Gold Cup.

"Kevon is a player we’ve long had our eye on, someone who stood out in both his Phoenix Rising club play and his Jamaican national team appearances,” said RSL technical director Kurt Schmid in a club statement. “Kevon adds size and international experience along our spine, whether on our back line or in the midfield. He has developed into, arguably, one of the most consistent players in the USL, and his international experience proves that he is ready for the next challenge.”

In all, he’s made 18 appearances for the Reggae Boyz since his professional career began at 17 years old with Montego Bay United in Jamaica’s National Premier League. Lambert is the seventh Jamaican international to sign with Salt Lake, joining a list that includes Andy Williams, Ryan Johnson, Lovel Palmer, Khari Stephenson, Demar Phillips and Omar Holness.

But he’s also played a variety of roles for both club and country, including a new system under second-year coach Juan Guerra.

“It’s really different, something that I’m not particularly used to,” Lambert said earlier this season in March. “But I’m still learning and still trying to help the team as much as I can. Any way that I can help the team, I’ll definitely do it. It’s different, but it’s going good so far.”

Lambert is the second USL star to join Real Salt Lake in as many years, joining former El Paso Locomotives standout Diego Luna. While Luna’s transfer was a much publicized league-record $250,000, Lambert’s transfer fee remains undisclosed.

The 6-foot-3, 175-pound defensive midfielder was scouted by RSL long before its current midfield situation following the lengthy injury to Pablo Ruiz. In addition to his role as a holding or defensive midfielder, Lambert could also fit in as a fourth center back alongside Justen Glad, Marcelo Silva and Brayan Vera, when necessary.

Thus, we’ll refer to Lambert as a utility center back and defensive midfielder with the ability to switch the point of attack with a booming right foot. And he’s already fitting in with his new home, having arrived earlier this week at the club’s Herriman training facility.

“Kev is quiet off the field, but is full of character on the pitch,” Guerra said. “He protects his own. You can see he loves his teammates and the club he his 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.”

TRANSACTION: Real Salt Lake signs MF Kevon Lambert via permanent transfer from Phoenix Rising on Thursday, August 17.

• #31 – Kevon Lambert
  Pronunciation: Kev-in
  Position: Midfielder
  Height: 6-3
  Weight: 175
  Hometown: Saint James Parish, Jamaica
  Date of Birth: 22 March 1997 (26 years old)
  Nationality: Jamaica
  How Acquired: Signed via permanent transfer from Phoenix Rising on August 16, 2023

• As of Aug. 17, 2023, Real Salt Lake’s current roster, listed alphabetically by position, is as follows:

• Goalkeepers (3): Gavin Beavers, Zac MacMath, Tomás Gomez

• Defenders (11): Andrew Brody, Zack Farnsworth, Justen Glad, Bode Hidalgo, Erik Holt, Kevon Lambert, Jaziel Orozco (on loan), Bryan Oviedo, Delentz Pierre, Luis Rivera, Marcelo Silva, Brayan Vera

• Midfielders (12): Julio Benitez (on loan), Scott Caldwell, Maikel Chang, Emeka Eneli, Damir Kreilach, Jasper Löffelsend, Diego Luna, Moses Nyeman, Braian Ojeda, Nelson Palacio, Pablo Ruiz, Jude Wellings

• Forwards (9): Cristian ‘Chicho’ Arango, Andrés Gómez, Anderson Julio, Bertin Jacquesson, Axel Kei, Danny Musovski, Ilijah Paul, Rubio Rubin, Jefferson Savarino