Jamie is emigrating to the USA and the state of Florida where he will be joining his parents in living and working after gaining his permanent residency status (Green Card).

Academy Director Danny Laws led the tributes to Jamie underlying the fantastic work and contributions he has made to our club and Academy.

‘Souza! will be greatly missed he has held numerous roles within our Academy and YDP none more so important than his recent work in establishing our Full-Time Girls Academy’

‘It is no coincidence that under Jamie’s stewardship we are the only Full-Time Girls Football Academy in the County and have again recruited a brilliant new cohort for the 2020 Season’

‘The environment that Jamie has created for our girls academy has been fantastic and he will be sorely missed, however I would like to be the first to publicly wish him all the very best with this new chapter in his life’

Souza first joined AFC Sudbury as our U13s coach in 2017 he has since then coached each age group within the YDP. More recently he has formed a highly successful coaching double act with Craig Power and been a key contributor to the development of both the 2018 & 2019 cohort of U17 boys who have both been on incredible journeys in the Essex and Suffolk Border League

A staff member on the 2019 Academy USA tour to Las Vegas Souza then began full-time work in the close season establishing the full-time girls academy. He oversaw the high profile launch match against the academy from FOL Sunderland AFC. The girls inaugural season was a huge success competing in both the ECFA Premier Academies Division and the National Youth Football League. This included away matches and overnight stays at the home of the England FA St Georges Park and also at AFC Bournemouth.

Souza explains what his career ambitions are in the USA and some of his fondest memories of the AFC Sudbury Academy.

‘I am leaving Sudbury with a heavy heart, Danny approached me to join Sudbury a few years ago after being my tutor on a FA course, on a voluntary basis to get some experience and I snapped his hand off after hearing so many good things about AFC Sudbury’s Academy and I have loved the journey. It’s one that has helped shape me as a coach, being around high performing people and players is inevitably going to improve you’

‘There are some great memories and experiences to recall back on. Taking the girls to a national competition at St Georges was brilliant, being in the backroom for big FA Youth Cup nights and the Suffolk Cup wins stick in my mind too as does winning the Suffolk Cup with the U13s and the league with them as U14. They were great kids and they’re moving up into their U16 year which is great to see so many of them progressing and developing at the club’

‘There’s two achievements that sit right up there and that was winning the Tommy Thompson Cup and the Primary Cup at Portman Road with Craig Power. We had to learn on the job in the Border League. There was nothing better than going out on a saturday with a top man in Craig and doing our best in some tough environments with some great, talented young players. It was an absolute pleasure to share those experiences with a guy who is a friend for life now’

Sadly those times were cut short with this Virus and me and my partner Lauren have made the decision to emigrate to Florida where we will look to make a life for ourselves out there in the sun! I have some contacts out in the States and will be looking to get a football coaching job within a professional organisation or College, I have already been making contact with the Tampa Bay Rowdies, Orlando City, Orlando Pride and University of Florida to go and visit them when the social distancing measures are relaxed and I’m hopeful of taking the valuable lessons I’ve learnt at AFC Sudbury Academy and implementing them on the other side of the pond.

Lastly, thank you to all the players, without you, none of the memories would’ve been possible, I’ve been blown away by so many of you taking the time to message me privately and in group chats. I look forward to following your careers from afar. Up the Yellows!