Lloyd Sam is back in Major League Soccer.
No, the 37-year-old English winger isn’t coming out of retirement. But Sam will be part of Charlotte FC’s broadcast team for the club’s inaugural season in MLS, it was announced Tuesday.
Sam, who starred for the New York Red Bulls and D.C. United during his playing days, will be the color analyst for English language matches on WSOC-TV and TV64, joining play-by-play announcer Eric Krakauer.
“I am thrilled and consider it a great privilege to be joining Charlotte FC’s broadcast team. It being the inaugural season makes it even more special. I can’t wait to connect fans across the Carolinas to the action on the field,” Sam said in a statement. “I look forward to bringing the expertise I have built up during my playing career through to viewers via a fun, personal style.”
Sam has thrived during his post-playing career, calling games for the USL, MLS NEXT and Concacaf World Cup Qualifiers.
As a player, Sam made 149 regular-season appearances, scoring 25 goals, across six MLS seasons. The former Ghanaian international began his career in England where he played for seven different clubs, most notably Charlton Athletic and Leeds United.
“We’re thrilled to welcome Lloyd to our broadcast team and his extensive playing experience across multiple leagues will be an important addition to Charlotte FC’s English-language coverage,” Charlotte FC president Nick Kelly said. “Having a former MLS player who can share his significant knowledge of American soccer will be a vital part of delivering on our commitment to bring our fans the best regionally-televised broadcast in the entire league.”
