Sam Ling
{{short description|English footballer}}
{{about|the English footballer|the pseudonym used by music businessman Saul Bihari|Bihari brothers}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=August 2019}}
{{Use British English|date=August 2019}}
{{Infobox football biography
|name = Sam Ling
|image =
|image_size =
|caption =
|fullname = Samuel Jack Ling{{cite web |url=https://www.efl.com/siteassets/image/201920/general-news/efl-squad-numbering-06.09.2019.pdf |title=Notification of shirt numbers|publisher=English Football League |accessdate=15 October 2019}}
|birth_date = {{birth date and age|1996|12|17|df=y}}{{cite web |url=https://www.11v11.com/players/sam-ling-241720/ |title=Sam Ling|website=11v11.com |publisher=AFS Enterprises |accessdate=15 March 2020}}
|birth_place = Broxbourne, England
|position = Right-back
|currentclub = Dagenham & Redbridge
|clubnumber = 19
|youthyears1 = 2013–2016
|youthclubs1 = Leyton Orient
|years1 = 2013–2016
|clubs1 = Leyton Orient
|caps1 = 0
|goals1 = 0
|years2 = 2015
|clubs2 = → Grays Athletic (loan)
|caps2 = 0
|goals2 = 0
|years3 = 2016
|clubs3 = → Histon (loan)
|caps3 = 7
|goals3 = 1
|years4 = 2016–2018
|clubs4 = Dagenham & Redbridge
|caps4 = 40
|goals4 = 3
|years5 = 2018–2021
|clubs5 = Leyton Orient
|caps5 = 80
|goals5 = 1
|years6 = 2021–
|clubs6 = Dagenham & Redbridge
|caps6 = 119
|goals6 = 4
| nationalyears1 = 2018
| nationalteam1 = England C
| nationalcaps1 = 2
| nationalgoals1 = 0
|club-update = 23:55, 16 January 2025 (UTC)
}}
Samuel Jack Ling (born 17 December 1996) is an English professional footballer who plays as a defender for National League club Dagenham & Redbridge.
Career
Ling began his career at Leyton Orient, progressing through the O's academy to become Youth Team captain and also featured on the bench for the first-team a number of times.{{Cite web|url=https://www.leytonorient.com/players/sam-ling/|title=Sam Ling's Biography|publisher=Leyton Orient FC|accessdate=6 October 2021}} He moved to Dagenham & Redbridge in 2016. On 7 February 2018, he returned to fellow National League and former club Leyton Orient for an undisclosed fee, signing a two-and-a-half-year contract. Ling was one of a number of players to leave Dagenham due to the club's financial issues.{{Cite web|url=https://www.barkinganddagenhampost.co.uk/sport/dagenham-interested-in-full-back-sam-ling-8072210|title=Dagenham & Redbridge interested in former Leyton Orient full-back Sam Ling|publisher=Barking & Dagenham Post|date=20 June 2021|accessdate=6 October 2021|first=Jacob|last=Ranson}} His father, Martin, was also director of football at Orient.{{Cite web|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/42981885|title=Sam Ling: Leyton Orient re-sign defender from Dagenham & Redbridge|date=7 February 2018|publisher=BBC Sport|accessdate=30 September 2019}} He made his long-awaited debut for the club on 17 February, coming on as a substitute in the second-half against Chester. He scored his first goal for the club on 15 March 2019 in a 3–2 away win at Barrow. He played a key role at right-back as Orient won the National League title at the end of the 2018–19 season. Ling started the 2019–20 season well and was nominated for the Orient's Player of the Month award in August. On 9 September 2019 he signed a new one-year extension to his contract until the summer of 2021.{{Cite web|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/49639383|title=Sam Ling: Leyton Orient defender agrees new contract at League Two club|date=9 September 2019|publisher=BBC Sport|accessdate=30 September 2019}} He had been an ever-present in the side since promotion and their return to the English Football League. He made his 50th appearance for the club on 21 September 2019 in a 2–1 defeat to Colchester United. He made a total of 87 appearances for Orient in three and a half seasons before he was released in the summer of 2021 following the expiration of his contract.
On 9 July 2021, Ling returned to National League side Dagenham & Redbridge on a free transfer.{{Cite web|url=https://daggers.co.uk/news/-Me9hxdHvPoVwl6jecgR|title=Sam Ling Returns To The Daggers!|publisher=Dagenham & Redbridge FC|date=9 July 2021|accessdate=6 October 2021}} Daggers boss, Daryl McMahon, spoke of his acquisition, "He obviously comes from a good footballing family, with his dad Martin. I've known Sam since he was about five or six, from when I played for Martin at Leyton Orient. He's been at the football club before and did really well here, so we know what we're getting."
Personal life
His father is Martin Ling.
Career statistics
{{updated|match played 1 January 2025}}
| class=wikitable style=text-align:center
|+ Appearances and goals by club, season and competition | ||||||||||
| rowspan=2|Club
!rowspan=2|Season !colspan=3|League !colspan=2|FA Cup !colspan=2|EFL Cup !colspan=2|Other !colspan=2|Total | ||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals |
| rowspan="4"|Leyton Orient
|2013–14{{soccerway|sam-ling/324356|Sam Ling|accessdate=6 March 2021}} |0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| 2014–15
|League One |0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| 2015–16
|0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| colspan=2|Total
!0||0||0||0||0||0||0||0||0||0 | ||||||||||
| Grays Athletic (loan)
|IL Premier Division |0 | 0 | colspan=2|— | colspan=2|— | colspan=2|— | 0 | 0 | ||||
| Histon (loan)
|2015–16{{Cite web|url=http://www.aylesburyunitedfc.co.uk/players/leyton-orient/sam-ling#playingcareer|title=Sam Ling profile|publisher=Aylesbury United FC|accessdate=15 March 2020}} |SL Premier Division |7 | 1 | colspan=2|— | colspan=2|— | colspan=2|— | 7 | 1 | ||||
| rowspan="3"|Dagenham & Redbridge
|11 | 0 | 1 | 0 | colspan=2|— | 0 | 0 | 12 | 0 | ||
| 2017–18
|National League |29 | 3 | 2 | 0 | colspan=2|— | 1Appearances in FA Trophy | 0 | 32 | 3 | ||
| colspan=2|Total
!40||3||3||0||colspan=2|—||1||0||44||3 | ||||||||||
| rowspan="5"|Leyton Orient
|National League |13 | 0 | 0 | 0 | colspan=2|— | 0 | 0 | 13 | 0 | ||
| 2018–19
|National League |22 | 1 | 1 | 0 | colspan=2|— | 4 | 0 | 27 | 1 | ||
| 2019–20{{soccerbase season|73995|2019|accessdate=6 March 2021}}
|League Two |15 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2Appearances in EFL Trophy | 0 | 18 | 0 | |
| 2020–21{{soccerbase season|73995|2020|accessdate=6 March 2021}}
|League Two |30 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 3Appearances in EFL Trophy | 1 | 34 | 1 | |
| colspan=2|Total
!80||1||2||0||1||0||9||1||92||2 | ||||||||||
| rowspan="5"|Dagenham & Redbridge
|2021–22{{soccerbase season|73995|2021|accessdate=22 August 2021}} |National League |32 | 2 | 2 | 0 | colspan=2|— | 3 | 0 | 37 | 2 | ||
| 2022–23{{soccerbase season|73995|2022|accessdate=6 August 2022}}
|National League |34 | 1 | 1 | 0 | colspan=2|— | 1 | 0 | 36 | 1 | ||
| 2023–24{{soccerbase season|73995|2023|accessdate=6 August 2022}}
|National League |40 | 1 | 0 | 0 | colspan=2|— | 1 | 1 | 41 | 2 | ||
| 2024–25{{soccerbase season|73995|2024|accessdate=6 August 2022}}
|National League |13 | 0 | 0 | 0 | colspan=2|— | 0 | 0 | 13 | 0 | ||
| colspan=2|Total
!119||4||3||0||colspan=2|—||5||1||127||5 | ||||||||||
| colspan=3|Career total
!246||9||8||0||1||0||15||2||270||11 |
{{notelist}}
{{reflist|group=lower-alpha}}
Honours
Leyton Orient
- National League: 2018–19{{cite web |url=https://www.soccerbase.com/tournaments/tournament.sd?tourn_id=1647 |title=National League: 2018/19: Current table |website=Soccerbase |publisher=Centurycomm |accessdate=3 August 2019}}
{{cite web |url=https://uk.soccerway.com/teams/england/leyton-orient-fc/744/squad/ |title=Leyton Orient FC: Squad |website=Soccerway |publisher=Perform Group |accessdate=3 August 2019}} - FA Trophy runner-up: 2018–19{{cite news |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/48314552 |title=AFC Fylde 1–0 Leyton Orient |first=Rob |last=Stevens |publisher=BBC Sport |date=19 May 2019 |accessdate=26 May 2019}}
References
{{Reflist}}
External links
- {{Soccerway|sam-ling/324356}}
{{Dagenham & Redbridge F.C. squad}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Ling, Sam}}
Category:People from Broxbourne
Category:Men's association football defenders
Category:Leyton Orient F.C. players
Category:Grays Athletic F.C. players
Category:Dagenham & Redbridge F.C. players
Category:English men's footballers
Category:English Football League players
Category:National League (English football) players
Category:Southern Football League players