Draft:Sammy Lander

Sammy Lander Born in Salisbury, 10th August 1996.

Weymouth FC
Lander lost his sight in his right eye as the result of a car accident when he was younger. Lander was the 'Youngest National League Coach' aged 23 in which he was a part of Weymouth FC, achieving 2 promotions into the National League. During this time, Lander was named as a substitute several occasions for Weymouth FC in the FA Trophy.

Football's First Substitution Coach
In the summer of 2021, Lander used his experience of being a substitute to get appointed as English football's first specialist 'Substitutions Coach' at AFC Wimbledon in League One. His role was to lead a data and people driven approach in order to maximize the impact of substitutions in football.

The 'Substitution Coach' role has since transitioned into a consultancy role where Lander has worked with international sides and clubs around the world, also becoming the first Substitutions Coach at club and international level.

Expected Impact
Lander was also responsible for the publishing of a new footballing metric: Expected Impact. This refers to a numerical value that can be assigned to assess the impact of a substitute performance.

Author
Lander also has a book coming out in August 2024, called Finishers: World's First Substitution Coach.

Career Progression
Lander is now Head of Research and Innovation at Loudoun United, in the United States League Championship. Completing this role alongside working as a consultant for other teams with substitutions.