James Lawrence (footballer)

James Lawrence
Personal information
Full name James Alexander Lawrence
Date of birth (1992-08-22) 22 August 1992
Place of birth Henley-on-Thames, Oxfordshire, England
Height 1.88 m (6 ft 2 in)
Playing position Centre back / Defensive midfielder
Club information
Current team
 Anderlecht
Number 3
Youth career
2001–2003 Arsenal
2005–2006 Queens Park Rangers
2009–2011 Ajax
2011–2012 Sparta Rotterdam
2012–2014 RKC Waalwijk
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2014–2018 Trenčín 86 (5)
2018– Anderlecht 2 (0)
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only and correct as of 7 October 2018

James Alexander Lawrence (born 22 August 1992) is an English/Welsh footballer who plays for Anderlecht in the Belgian First Division A.

Lawrence has previously played for AS Trenčín and youth teams at Arsenal, Queens Park Rangers, Ajax & Sparta Rotterdam.[1]

Club career

Early career

Lawrence's early youth career included English clubs Enfield, Arsenal and Queens Park Rangers. In 2008 his family moved to the Netherlands where he joined HFC Haarlem. In 2009 Lawrence left Haarlem to join Ajax with whom he won the Netherlands U19 First Division Championship in 2010-11. Lawrence then had spells with Jong Sparta Rotterdam and Jong RKC Waalwijk whilst he was enrolled at the Johan Cruyff Institute in Amsterdam.[1]

FK AS Trenčín

2014–15 season

Lawrence transferred to AS Trenčín on 13 August 2014 aged 21 and scored on his debut the same day in a Slovak Cup match against ŠK Strážske.[2] Four days later Lawrence made his Fortuna Liga debut in a 4–2 win against MFK Košice. On 1 May 2015 Lawrence helped AS Trenčín to a maiden Slovak Cup, beating FK Senica in the final.[3] In May 2015 AS Trenčín became Fortuna Liga Champions for the first time[4] with Lawrence thus achieving the league and cup double in his first senior season.[5]

The AS Trenčín champions of 2014-15, with an average age of 21.74, were recognised as having been the youngest champions across 31 top division European leagues from 2009-2017 by the CIES Football Observatory in Report 32 dated February 2018.[6]

During Season 2014–15 Lawrence played 25 matches for AS Trenčín, winning 19, drawing 4 and losing 2 (PPG 2.44 | on pitch goal ratio 3.23 | on pitch goal percentage 0.76).

2015–16 season

Lawrence missed the end of the 2014–15 season and the beginning of the 2015–16 season due to an injury sustained in the 2015 Cup Final, returning on 13 October 2015 when he scored in a 3–0 win over ŠK Blava Jaslovské Bohunice in the 4th round of the Slovak Cup. A 3–1 win over ŠK Slovan Bratislava in the Slovnaft Cup Final on 29 April 2016 secured a second Slovak Cup for Lawrence and AS Trenčín. On 8 May 2016 AS Trenčín beat ŠK Slovan Bratislava 4–0 to become Fortuna Liga Champions for the second year in succession,[7] Lawrence thus achieved back to back doubles in his first two senior seasons in professional football.

During Season 2015–16 Lawrence played 20 matches for AS Trenčín, winning 17, drawing 1 and losing 2 (PPG 2.60 | on pitch goal ratio 5.17 | on pitch goal percentage 0.84).

2016–17 season

Lawrence made his UEFA Competition debut playing for AS Trenčín on 13 July 2016 in a 4–3 win over Slovenian Champions Olimpija NK in the first leg of the UEFA Champions League Qualifying Round 2, scoring his first Champions League goal 3 minutes into the game. On 25 August 2016, in a 2–0 UEFA Europa League win over Rapid Vienna, Lawrence scored the first competitive goal in the newly opened Allianz Stadion Vienna.

During Season 2016–17 Lawrence played 34 matches for AS Trenčín, winning 18, drawing 5 and losing 11 (PPG 1.74 | on pitch goal ratio 1.31 | on pitch goal percentage 0.57).

2017–18 season

Lawrence's 2017-18 season for AS Trenčín began on 29 June 2017 with a 5-1 win over FC Torpedo Kutaisi in the UEFA Europa League Qualifying Round 1. A concussion injury in the 2nd leg against FC Torpedo Kutaisi in Georgia ruled Lawrence out of the Trenčín squad until 2 September 2017 when he returned in an 8-0 win over ŠKM Liptovský Hrádok.

During Season 2017–18, Lawrence played 29 matches for AS Trenčín, winning 17, drawing 4 and losing 8 (PPG 1.90 | on pitch goal ratio 2.13 | on pitch goal percentage 0.68).

2018–19 season

Lawrence's 2018-19 season for AS Trenčín began on 12 July 2018 with a 2-0 win over FK Budućnost Podgorica in Montenegro in the UEFA Europa League Qualifying Round 1. Aggregate wins over Górnik Zabrze and Feyenoord, in Qualifying Rounds 2 and 3, took AS Trenčín to a play-off round against AEK Larnaca FC.

During Season 2018–19, Lawrence played 9 matches for AS Trenčín, winning 6, drawing 3 and losing 0 (PPG 2.33 | on pitch goal ratio 2.67 | on pitch goal percentage 0.73).

In his time with AS Trenčín James Lawrence played 117 matches, winning 77, drawing 17 and losing 23 (PPG 2.12 | on pitch goal ratio 2.14 | on pitch goal percentage 0.68).

RSC Anderlecht

2018–19 season

On 29 August 2018, Lawrence joined Anderlecht.[8] He made his Belgian First Division A debut on 2 September, starting against Royal Antwerp.

Style of play

Lawrence plays as a left sided centre-back or in defensive midfield as a deep-lying playmaker. His individual style of play developed at Ajax and with Cruyff Football, moving the ball quickly and playing out from the back, suits a high-pressing, free-flowing team style.

Honours

Ajax
  • KNVB Eerste Divisie O19: 2010–11
Trenčín

Career statistics

Club

As of match played 7 October 2018[9]
Appearances and goals by club, season and competition
Club Season League National Cup Continental Other Total
DivisionAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoals
AS Trenčín 2014–15 Fortuna Liga 1807100-251
2015–16 1515100-202
2016–17 2534152-346
2017–18 2512020-291
2018–19 300061-91
Total 865183133--11711
Anderlecht 2018–19 Belgian First Division A 200010-30
Total 885183143--12011
Career total 885183143--12011

References

  1. 1 2 "Jamie Lawrence, the only English footballer in Slovakia, warns England that their final Euro 2016 group game 'will not be easy'". Daily Mail.co.uk.
  2. ↑ "www.futbalnet.sk". Retrieved 18 July 2015.
  3. ↑ "AS Trenčín win maiden Slovak Cup". Retrieved 2 May 2015.
  4. ↑ "Trenčín seal historic Slovakian double". Retrieved 21 May 2015.
  5. ↑ "Jamie Lawrence has eyes on Slovakian double after mastering his own destiny". Retrieved 12 July 2015.
  6. ↑ "Reports - CIES". CIES. Retrieved 26 February 2018.
  7. ↑ "Trenčín ... take title". Retrieved 17 May 2016.
  8. ↑ "WELKOM JAMES ALEXANDER LAWRENCE!". Anderlecht. 29 August 2018. Retrieved 30 August 2018.
  9. ↑ "J.Lawrence". soccerway.com. Soccerway. Retrieved 4 Nov 2017.
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