Lambert round 2
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Dated 23 Mar 2012
[article=http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-2119488/Alan-Pardew-backing-Rickie-Lambert-succeed-Premier-League.html]Newcastle manager Alan Pardew took Lambert to Southampton in the summer of 2009. Lambert, who cost £1million, scored an astonishing 37 goals in 59 appearances that season.
Pardew told Sportsmail this week: 'Rickie was a 28-year-old striker with a limited cv and I had to convince the chairman to spend the money. It was a hard sell but I could see right away that Rickie had what it takes.
'I told him that he would be a Premier League player once he got his condition, fitness and body shape right.
'His greatest strength is his shot. Of all the players I have worked and played with, Rickie has the cleanest strike. People might not know a lot about him yet, but they will.
'He is a lovely, humble, smashing lad. He won't swagger into the Premier League with an attitude that says, "I belong here, I should have been here all along". He will feel blessed finally to have the opportunity.'
Lambert's career suggests Pardew may be right. If he does reach the Premier League - and it looks rather inevitable - then he will have worked hard to get there. Educated at Liverpool's Kirkby Sports College - which produced European Cup-winning captains Phil Thompson and Dennis Mortimer - Lambert was released from Anfield as a teenager.
'I was devastated,' Lambert recalled. A Liverpool supporter, he has a tattoo of a liver bird on his shoulder and was in the stands to witness the club's Carling Cup final win over Cardiff last month.
'I grew up watching them,' Lambert said. 'They will always be my team.'
After being released by then Blackpool manager Steve McMahon in 2000, after three substitute appearances, a spell out of the game followed. When he had another go, it was hardly A-List stuff.
Spells in midfield at Macclesfield - where he was initially paid only expenses - Stockport and Rochdale preceded his move to Rovers. His scoring record during this time was acceptable without being remarkable.
Old school friend and Blackpool team-mate Danny Coid, now at Accrington, said: 'We played up front together for our schools and practised on the astro-turf outside Rickie's house in Kirkby.
'I'd pass to him but he'd never pass back. He'd shoot from all angles. He always had more strength and power than anyone else.
'After Blackpool, I'd go to his house and he was really low. We used to see other lads we knew getting contracts. Maybe it was a kick up the backside for him.
Later, when he was at Stockport, we (Blackpool) played them. McMahon warned us he was the danger man. That made me smile. Then Rickie scored a quality free-kick.'
Back in Kirkby few people are surprised that - at the age of 30 - Lambert is finally fulfilling his talent.
KSC teacher John Woods recalled: 'We would have football matches between the staff and the Year 11 team and Rickie's team was the only one that ever beat us.
'Rickie gave me some stick when he hit a free-kick that flew past me into the top corner. Even as a young lad he'd score spectacular goals.
'He's never had much pace, which is probably why he was used in midfield, but he's always had a fantastic shot and an amazing touch.'
A recurring theme when discussing Lambert is his physical shape. Pardew believes a lack of conditioning held him back before he joined Southampton, while the player has admitted he does not perform well if in anything other than peak fitness.
Even Coid said: 'He's never been naturally fit, but fitness can be improved. What's important is that he's a class player with exceptional ability.'
It is to be hoped that - physically and tactically - Lambert can make the step up to the Premier League. Pardew has little doubt Lambert will leave his mark on the top division.
'He is in my top five strikers I have ever signed,' he said. 'We have seen what Grant Holt has achieved for Norwich this season having never played in the top league before.
'Rickie can make a bigger impact next season. I'm confident of that.'[/article]
Dated 13 Dec 2013
[article=http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-2523374/Alan-Pardew-claims-helped-turn-pie-pint-man-Rickie-Lambert-potent-Premier-League-striker.html]‘I thought England would come too late for him,’ said Pardew.
‘But I knew he had it in him to play in the Premier League and I told him that.’
Pardew also told Lambert that he had to make improvements to his lifestyle and training regime to make the most of his talents.
He revealed: ‘I think he would admit that perhaps his lifestyle let him down a bit and he liked a pint and a pie. I don’t think he would be embarrassed by me saying that.
‘I had a couple of long chats with him about it.
'I remember when he arrived, saying, “I’ve just paid £1million for you, I’ve put my neck on the line and you better get that in order”.
‘But the player still needs to do it and he has. He certainly looks a meaner, finer-looking specimen now.’[/article]
Dated 22 Feb 2014
[article=http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-2565307/Rickie-Lambert-reminds-Teddy-Sheringham-says-Hammers-boss-Sam-Allardyce-refuses-rule-renewing-Saints-striker.html#ixzz33G2gfgWS ]'He’s a master of his position at the minute,’ said Allardyce. ‘It’s all sorts of goals he scores. You saw his free-kick which he bent in a couple of weeks ago (against Stoke), he didn’t get the accolades for that - it was world class.
‘He’s also got his throughballs and finding of space and, if I had to liken him to anyone, it would be Teddy Sheringham.’
And Allardyce is not just a fan of Lambert’s skill-set.
‘He’s a fantastic icon for any youngster,’ he went on.
‘Muhammad Ali’s great saying is that “to be a world champion, the will must be stronger than the skill”.
‘You have to have that desire and belief to achieve a long and successful career, especially with Rickie because he’ll appreciate it far more than anyone else.
‘He’s been down there getting bullied and screamed at in the lower divisions, which is what happens when the manager is under pressure.
‘He’s coped with all of that and learned and got better and better.
‘Even moving into his 30s he’s playing with the intelligence and skill greater than he has ever done before. He’s stepped up to the real top, top level.’[/article]
Dated 1 May 2014
[article=http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/worldcup2014/article-2617859/Rickie-Lambert-World-Cup-ahead-Andy-Carroll-says-Matt-Le-Tissier.html#ixzz33G2FH7Ac ]Lambert's journey from putting lids on jars of beetroot in a Merseyside factory to scoring on his England debut is well-known, but Le Tissier does not believe the same goes for his array of skills.
'He didn't surprise me in the way he kept stepping up,' Le Tissier, who was speaking at the CV Show on behalf of Vauxhall, the England Team Sponsor, said.
'I saw a lot of qualities in him that I saw in myself when I was playing. Neither of us were the quickest, but our football brains were sharp as anything.
'When your football brain is as sharp as his, you can still have an impact and still make a difference in games, even though you're not one of the quickest players.
'He has got a fantastic touch and sees a pass as good as anybody. He does great set pieces, takes wonderful free-kicks and penalties. He has a lot of good attributes.
'He is excellent in the air, a strong boy, and all those attributes kind of make up for that yard of pace he hasn't got.'
Le Tissier was also quick to highlight the attitude that accompanies the impressive aptitude of a man who lists Blackpool, Macclesfield, Stockport, Rochdale and Bristol Rovers as his former clubs.
'You would have no problem with him in terms of thinking he should be playing and maybe sulking just because he is in the squad, not the team,' Le Tissier added.
'That boy would be absolutely delighted to be anywhere near the squad and is a fantastic guy to have around. He is such a humble, down-to-earth bloke.'[/article]
Dated 30 May 2014
[article=http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-2643782/Rickie-Lamberts-journey-Anfield-reject-beetroot-factory-worker-England-star-Liverpools-new-Kop-idol.html]Rickie Lambert is on the verge of completing a sensational move to Liverpool and his journey represents a victory for hope and hard work.
The 32-year-old has played in every division but famously had to go part-time when he was released by Blackpool earlier in his career and work screwing the tops on beetroot jars in a factory.
Now he is in the England World Cup squad and set to rejoin his boyhood club, who released him when he was a teenager.
That rejection hit Lambert hard, as he admitted earlier in the season: ‘I was at Liverpool from age 10 to 15 and I was basically told I wasn’t good enough, which obviously was a hard thing to take at the time.
‘I thought it was the end of the world. But I can tell people in the same situation that it is not the end of the world. It should drive you on to succeed even more.'
His career prospects seemed even more bleak when, after just two matches in three years, Lambert was released by Blackpool in 2000.
From there, it was the beetroot factory and part-time football with Macclesfield. It was a dark time for Lambert, something he has not shied away from discussing.
‘After leaving Blackpool there was a period without a club,' he said. 'I didn’t have a contract, so I wasn’t getting paid for four or five months. It was a very difficult time. I was debating what I could do outside the game. But I didn’t want to do anything outside of football.
‘So I was trying my best to get to training at Macclesfield because it wasn’t close.
‘I had to get a job and that one in the beetroot factory was one of the only jobs I could get at the time. I was putting lids on jars, getting paid £20 a day. I would work in the day and go training in the evening.'
After a more successful spell at Stockport, he really began his rise from bloke who worked with jars to being a star when Rochdale boss Steve Parkin moved him from midfield.
Lambert was 23 at the time and forged a formidable partnership with Grant Holt and they scored 27 goals in 24 matches
It got the striker noticed by Bristol Rovers and he moved there for £200,000.
Southampton signed him for £1million in 2009 but only became their main man after words of advice from former manager Alan Pardew, who told him to get in shape.
‘That really stuck,’ Lambert said. ‘I was overweight, basically. I wasn’t looking after my body the way I should have.’
He knuckled down and his goals have fired the Saints up two divisions and his Premier League exploits led to an England debut.
And what a debut. Lambert headed the winner against Scotland at Wembley with his first touch after barely three minutes on the pitch.
After scoring he said: 'I dreamed of this all my life, it means so much. It was a great corner by Leighton Baines, where I wanted it and it was great to get on the end of it.
'I've tried to play it calm all week, when all I wanted to do was scream!
'I don't mind people talking about the beetroot factory - it shows how far I've come.
'It was great to have my family here. I'm so happy for those who made it possible - my parents, my wife, three kids and Southampton. They've been different class.'
And he did not stop there. Another international goal followed against Moldova a month later and he played a key role in a gritty 0-0 draw with Ukraine.
After scoring 15 goals in his first Premier League season with Southampton, Lambert followed it up with 14 in the campaign just gone, enough to earn himself a place on the plane to Brazil.
His main assets include his touch, aerial ability and strength but he has become best known for his penalty record. Since joining Southampton, he has taken 34 penalties and scored every one.
Now, Lambert's career is going full circle with his move back to Liverpool, and a chance to pull on the iconic red shirt.
It will truly be his Anfield of dreams.
[/article]
[article=http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-2119488/Alan-Pardew-backing-Rickie-Lambert-succeed-Premier-League.html]Newcastle manager Alan Pardew took Lambert to Southampton in the summer of 2009. Lambert, who cost £1million, scored an astonishing 37 goals in 59 appearances that season.
Pardew told Sportsmail this week: 'Rickie was a 28-year-old striker with a limited cv and I had to convince the chairman to spend the money. It was a hard sell but I could see right away that Rickie had what it takes.
'I told him that he would be a Premier League player once he got his condition, fitness and body shape right.
'His greatest strength is his shot. Of all the players I have worked and played with, Rickie has the cleanest strike. People might not know a lot about him yet, but they will.
'He is a lovely, humble, smashing lad. He won't swagger into the Premier League with an attitude that says, "I belong here, I should have been here all along". He will feel blessed finally to have the opportunity.'
Lambert's career suggests Pardew may be right. If he does reach the Premier League - and it looks rather inevitable - then he will have worked hard to get there. Educated at Liverpool's Kirkby Sports College - which produced European Cup-winning captains Phil Thompson and Dennis Mortimer - Lambert was released from Anfield as a teenager.
'I was devastated,' Lambert recalled. A Liverpool supporter, he has a tattoo of a liver bird on his shoulder and was in the stands to witness the club's Carling Cup final win over Cardiff last month.
'I grew up watching them,' Lambert said. 'They will always be my team.'
After being released by then Blackpool manager Steve McMahon in 2000, after three substitute appearances, a spell out of the game followed. When he had another go, it was hardly A-List stuff.
Spells in midfield at Macclesfield - where he was initially paid only expenses - Stockport and Rochdale preceded his move to Rovers. His scoring record during this time was acceptable without being remarkable.
Old school friend and Blackpool team-mate Danny Coid, now at Accrington, said: 'We played up front together for our schools and practised on the astro-turf outside Rickie's house in Kirkby.
'I'd pass to him but he'd never pass back. He'd shoot from all angles. He always had more strength and power than anyone else.
'After Blackpool, I'd go to his house and he was really low. We used to see other lads we knew getting contracts. Maybe it was a kick up the backside for him.
Later, when he was at Stockport, we (Blackpool) played them. McMahon warned us he was the danger man. That made me smile. Then Rickie scored a quality free-kick.'
Back in Kirkby few people are surprised that - at the age of 30 - Lambert is finally fulfilling his talent.
KSC teacher John Woods recalled: 'We would have football matches between the staff and the Year 11 team and Rickie's team was the only one that ever beat us.
'Rickie gave me some stick when he hit a free-kick that flew past me into the top corner. Even as a young lad he'd score spectacular goals.
'He's never had much pace, which is probably why he was used in midfield, but he's always had a fantastic shot and an amazing touch.'
A recurring theme when discussing Lambert is his physical shape. Pardew believes a lack of conditioning held him back before he joined Southampton, while the player has admitted he does not perform well if in anything other than peak fitness.
Even Coid said: 'He's never been naturally fit, but fitness can be improved. What's important is that he's a class player with exceptional ability.'
It is to be hoped that - physically and tactically - Lambert can make the step up to the Premier League. Pardew has little doubt Lambert will leave his mark on the top division.
'He is in my top five strikers I have ever signed,' he said. 'We have seen what Grant Holt has achieved for Norwich this season having never played in the top league before.
'Rickie can make a bigger impact next season. I'm confident of that.'[/article]
Dated 13 Dec 2013
[article=http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-2523374/Alan-Pardew-claims-helped-turn-pie-pint-man-Rickie-Lambert-potent-Premier-League-striker.html]‘I thought England would come too late for him,’ said Pardew.
‘But I knew he had it in him to play in the Premier League and I told him that.’
Pardew also told Lambert that he had to make improvements to his lifestyle and training regime to make the most of his talents.
He revealed: ‘I think he would admit that perhaps his lifestyle let him down a bit and he liked a pint and a pie. I don’t think he would be embarrassed by me saying that.
‘I had a couple of long chats with him about it.
'I remember when he arrived, saying, “I’ve just paid £1million for you, I’ve put my neck on the line and you better get that in order”.
‘But the player still needs to do it and he has. He certainly looks a meaner, finer-looking specimen now.’[/article]
Dated 22 Feb 2014
[article=http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-2565307/Rickie-Lambert-reminds-Teddy-Sheringham-says-Hammers-boss-Sam-Allardyce-refuses-rule-renewing-Saints-striker.html#ixzz33G2gfgWS ]'He’s a master of his position at the minute,’ said Allardyce. ‘It’s all sorts of goals he scores. You saw his free-kick which he bent in a couple of weeks ago (against Stoke), he didn’t get the accolades for that - it was world class.
‘He’s also got his throughballs and finding of space and, if I had to liken him to anyone, it would be Teddy Sheringham.’
And Allardyce is not just a fan of Lambert’s skill-set.
‘He’s a fantastic icon for any youngster,’ he went on.
‘Muhammad Ali’s great saying is that “to be a world champion, the will must be stronger than the skill”.
‘You have to have that desire and belief to achieve a long and successful career, especially with Rickie because he’ll appreciate it far more than anyone else.
‘He’s been down there getting bullied and screamed at in the lower divisions, which is what happens when the manager is under pressure.
‘He’s coped with all of that and learned and got better and better.
‘Even moving into his 30s he’s playing with the intelligence and skill greater than he has ever done before. He’s stepped up to the real top, top level.’[/article]
Dated 1 May 2014
[article=http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/worldcup2014/article-2617859/Rickie-Lambert-World-Cup-ahead-Andy-Carroll-says-Matt-Le-Tissier.html#ixzz33G2FH7Ac ]Lambert's journey from putting lids on jars of beetroot in a Merseyside factory to scoring on his England debut is well-known, but Le Tissier does not believe the same goes for his array of skills.
'He didn't surprise me in the way he kept stepping up,' Le Tissier, who was speaking at the CV Show on behalf of Vauxhall, the England Team Sponsor, said.
'I saw a lot of qualities in him that I saw in myself when I was playing. Neither of us were the quickest, but our football brains were sharp as anything.
'When your football brain is as sharp as his, you can still have an impact and still make a difference in games, even though you're not one of the quickest players.
'He has got a fantastic touch and sees a pass as good as anybody. He does great set pieces, takes wonderful free-kicks and penalties. He has a lot of good attributes.
'He is excellent in the air, a strong boy, and all those attributes kind of make up for that yard of pace he hasn't got.'
Le Tissier was also quick to highlight the attitude that accompanies the impressive aptitude of a man who lists Blackpool, Macclesfield, Stockport, Rochdale and Bristol Rovers as his former clubs.
'You would have no problem with him in terms of thinking he should be playing and maybe sulking just because he is in the squad, not the team,' Le Tissier added.
'That boy would be absolutely delighted to be anywhere near the squad and is a fantastic guy to have around. He is such a humble, down-to-earth bloke.'[/article]
Dated 30 May 2014
[article=http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-2643782/Rickie-Lamberts-journey-Anfield-reject-beetroot-factory-worker-England-star-Liverpools-new-Kop-idol.html]Rickie Lambert is on the verge of completing a sensational move to Liverpool and his journey represents a victory for hope and hard work.
The 32-year-old has played in every division but famously had to go part-time when he was released by Blackpool earlier in his career and work screwing the tops on beetroot jars in a factory.
Now he is in the England World Cup squad and set to rejoin his boyhood club, who released him when he was a teenager.
That rejection hit Lambert hard, as he admitted earlier in the season: ‘I was at Liverpool from age 10 to 15 and I was basically told I wasn’t good enough, which obviously was a hard thing to take at the time.
‘I thought it was the end of the world. But I can tell people in the same situation that it is not the end of the world. It should drive you on to succeed even more.'
His career prospects seemed even more bleak when, after just two matches in three years, Lambert was released by Blackpool in 2000.
From there, it was the beetroot factory and part-time football with Macclesfield. It was a dark time for Lambert, something he has not shied away from discussing.
‘After leaving Blackpool there was a period without a club,' he said. 'I didn’t have a contract, so I wasn’t getting paid for four or five months. It was a very difficult time. I was debating what I could do outside the game. But I didn’t want to do anything outside of football.
‘So I was trying my best to get to training at Macclesfield because it wasn’t close.
‘I had to get a job and that one in the beetroot factory was one of the only jobs I could get at the time. I was putting lids on jars, getting paid £20 a day. I would work in the day and go training in the evening.'
After a more successful spell at Stockport, he really began his rise from bloke who worked with jars to being a star when Rochdale boss Steve Parkin moved him from midfield.
Lambert was 23 at the time and forged a formidable partnership with Grant Holt and they scored 27 goals in 24 matches
It got the striker noticed by Bristol Rovers and he moved there for £200,000.
Southampton signed him for £1million in 2009 but only became their main man after words of advice from former manager Alan Pardew, who told him to get in shape.
‘That really stuck,’ Lambert said. ‘I was overweight, basically. I wasn’t looking after my body the way I should have.’
He knuckled down and his goals have fired the Saints up two divisions and his Premier League exploits led to an England debut.
And what a debut. Lambert headed the winner against Scotland at Wembley with his first touch after barely three minutes on the pitch.
After scoring he said: 'I dreamed of this all my life, it means so much. It was a great corner by Leighton Baines, where I wanted it and it was great to get on the end of it.
'I've tried to play it calm all week, when all I wanted to do was scream!
'I don't mind people talking about the beetroot factory - it shows how far I've come.
'It was great to have my family here. I'm so happy for those who made it possible - my parents, my wife, three kids and Southampton. They've been different class.'
And he did not stop there. Another international goal followed against Moldova a month later and he played a key role in a gritty 0-0 draw with Ukraine.
After scoring 15 goals in his first Premier League season with Southampton, Lambert followed it up with 14 in the campaign just gone, enough to earn himself a place on the plane to Brazil.
His main assets include his touch, aerial ability and strength but he has become best known for his penalty record. Since joining Southampton, he has taken 34 penalties and scored every one.
Now, Lambert's career is going full circle with his move back to Liverpool, and a chance to pull on the iconic red shirt.
It will truly be his Anfield of dreams.
[/article]
[article=http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-2644343/Rickie-Lambert-finally-realise-life-ambition-play-Liverpool.html#ixzz33GAUkSBa ]Maureen Lambert had a dream. Standing on the touchline at Liverpool’s academy in the 1990s, watching her determined son Rickie begin his career, she knew one day his rewards would come.
‘I always said he was going to the Premier League,’ Maureen recalled. ‘When we were at Liverpool and I was with the mums, I used to say, “I will be in my 50s before he becomes famous”. I just knew from when he was little. He was lovely growing up, always playing football.’
Rarely are dreams fulfilled as romantically as in this story. From the despair of suffering rejection when he was 15, to finding work in a beetroot factory called Red Velvet on £20 per day, Rickie Lambert’s life’s ambition to play for Liverpool will be officially realised in the next 48 hours.
This transfer, a closely-guarded secret as negotiations progressed this week, shows that old-fashioned values and a refusal never to give up will ultimately be rewarded.
Lambert could easily have gone the way of thousands of other young hopefuls when Liverpool released him in 1997, shuffling around the non-League circuit harbouring frustrations over what might have been, but it wasn’t only his mother who had faith that the picture would not be bleak.
Hughie McAuley, one of the most influential coaches at Liverpool’s academy, remembers a talented goalscorer who was always eager to please, and a resolute teenager who had been raised in working-class Kirkby with stout ethics.
‘Rickie was always a strong lad and had an eye for goal that has stayed with him,’ said McAuley, whose late father, Hugh, scouted Lambert when he was a schoolboy and urged Liverpool to take a look. ‘But he always worked very hard, he wanted to learn and he was determined.
‘It’s never easy to let kids leave, and it wasn’t easy to break the news to Rickie. But our job at the academy is to give those who don’t make it as much information and help as we can and he took it on board. He comes from good Liverpool stock.
‘The desire to work hard and have dedication should be a pre- requisite — look at Steven Gerrard and Jamie Carragher — but not every footballer has it. With Ricky, they were his biggest qualities and it’s why we had confidence he would go on to earn a living from the game.
‘Our paths crossed a few years later, when he was with Southampton (in 2009) and I was working at Stockport. He scored a poacher’s goal from six yards, they won 2-0. I gave him a hug afterwards and wished him all the best. Isn’t it great that it has gone full circle for him? He will be elated.’
When Lambert has his medical today, with a two-year contract at Liverpool agreed, it is inevitable his mind will flood with memories of the journey he has been on, the first stopping points being Blackpool, Macclesfield and Rochdale.
‘Rickie was a rough diamond,’ recalls Steve Parkin, his manager at Rochdale. ‘He had an eye for goal. All we had to do was tidy his professionalism up a little bit. He was blessed with natural ability that not many players are given. That is what set him apart from the rest.’
Rochdale will get a small cut of the £4million fee Southampton receive after they negotiated a sell-on when he moved to Bristol Rovers, who will in turn benefit after inserting a clause when selling him to Southampton.
It was on the south coast that Lambert blossomed, with 106 goals in 207 leagues games. The catalyst for this blistering run of form, which took him all the way to the England squad, was a prod from Alan Pardew, who questioned his professionalism.
‘That really stuck,’ he recalled before his England debut against Scotland last August. ‘I was overweight, basically. I wasn’t looking after my body.’
His first cap brought a first goal, a towering header from a Leighton Baines cross, and left his mum and dad, Ray, in tears. Not long after that, a fax arrived at Southampton from Brendan Rodgers.
‘He is a terrific player and I sent the message on behalf of the club and all Kopites as he is a big Red,’ Rodgers explained last September.
‘He is a Kirkby boy and I was just wishing him well, saying we were all proud of him playing for England. I’ve been a big admirer of Rickie.’
And now, against the odds, Lambert’s dreams have come true.[/article]
‘I always said he was going to the Premier League,’ Maureen recalled. ‘When we were at Liverpool and I was with the mums, I used to say, “I will be in my 50s before he becomes famous”. I just knew from when he was little. He was lovely growing up, always playing football.’
Rarely are dreams fulfilled as romantically as in this story. From the despair of suffering rejection when he was 15, to finding work in a beetroot factory called Red Velvet on £20 per day, Rickie Lambert’s life’s ambition to play for Liverpool will be officially realised in the next 48 hours.
This transfer, a closely-guarded secret as negotiations progressed this week, shows that old-fashioned values and a refusal never to give up will ultimately be rewarded.
Lambert could easily have gone the way of thousands of other young hopefuls when Liverpool released him in 1997, shuffling around the non-League circuit harbouring frustrations over what might have been, but it wasn’t only his mother who had faith that the picture would not be bleak.
Hughie McAuley, one of the most influential coaches at Liverpool’s academy, remembers a talented goalscorer who was always eager to please, and a resolute teenager who had been raised in working-class Kirkby with stout ethics.
‘Rickie was always a strong lad and had an eye for goal that has stayed with him,’ said McAuley, whose late father, Hugh, scouted Lambert when he was a schoolboy and urged Liverpool to take a look. ‘But he always worked very hard, he wanted to learn and he was determined.
‘It’s never easy to let kids leave, and it wasn’t easy to break the news to Rickie. But our job at the academy is to give those who don’t make it as much information and help as we can and he took it on board. He comes from good Liverpool stock.
‘The desire to work hard and have dedication should be a pre- requisite — look at Steven Gerrard and Jamie Carragher — but not every footballer has it. With Ricky, they were his biggest qualities and it’s why we had confidence he would go on to earn a living from the game.
‘Our paths crossed a few years later, when he was with Southampton (in 2009) and I was working at Stockport. He scored a poacher’s goal from six yards, they won 2-0. I gave him a hug afterwards and wished him all the best. Isn’t it great that it has gone full circle for him? He will be elated.’
When Lambert has his medical today, with a two-year contract at Liverpool agreed, it is inevitable his mind will flood with memories of the journey he has been on, the first stopping points being Blackpool, Macclesfield and Rochdale.
‘Rickie was a rough diamond,’ recalls Steve Parkin, his manager at Rochdale. ‘He had an eye for goal. All we had to do was tidy his professionalism up a little bit. He was blessed with natural ability that not many players are given. That is what set him apart from the rest.’
Rochdale will get a small cut of the £4million fee Southampton receive after they negotiated a sell-on when he moved to Bristol Rovers, who will in turn benefit after inserting a clause when selling him to Southampton.
It was on the south coast that Lambert blossomed, with 106 goals in 207 leagues games. The catalyst for this blistering run of form, which took him all the way to the England squad, was a prod from Alan Pardew, who questioned his professionalism.
‘That really stuck,’ he recalled before his England debut against Scotland last August. ‘I was overweight, basically. I wasn’t looking after my body.’
His first cap brought a first goal, a towering header from a Leighton Baines cross, and left his mum and dad, Ray, in tears. Not long after that, a fax arrived at Southampton from Brendan Rodgers.
‘He is a terrific player and I sent the message on behalf of the club and all Kopites as he is a big Red,’ Rodgers explained last September.
‘He is a Kirkby boy and I was just wishing him well, saying we were all proud of him playing for England. I’ve been a big admirer of Rickie.’
And now, against the odds, Lambert’s dreams have come true.[/article]
Mirror (Dave Maddock)
[article=http://www.mirror.co.uk/sport/football/transfer-news/southampton-fight-transfer-bids-nine-3627428#ixzz33GUBqcND ]England star Rickie Lambert will today complete a move to Liverpool, by signing a two year contract worth around £40,000 a week, after undergoing a medical on Merseyside.
The deal will bring Saints an initial £2m down payment, with that figure doubling over the course of the contract, subject to incentives. But that will be small change compared to the other deals that are close to completion.[/article]
Guardian (Jamie Jackson)
[article=http://www.theguardian.com/football/2014/may/30/rickie-lambert-transfer-start-mass-exodus-southampton]Lambert is due to have a medical on Merseyside on Saturday after Southampton accepted a revised offer from Liverpool for the England striker. The 32-year-old was the subject of a bid of £4m plus add-ons on Thursday by Liverpool, who became aware of the Kirkby-born player’s availability during their inquiries for Lallana and the Croatian central defender Lovren. Both players are of interest to Pochettino at Spurs with the Argentinian manager also having targeted Rodriguez, their currently injured team-mate.
Discussions over the structure of the deal for Lambert, with Liverpool offering several performance-related payments, continued on Friday when Southampton accepted £4.5m up front, plus add-ons. Lambert will be involved in England’s World Cup warm-up game against Peru at Wembley on Friday and, barring any problems, will then travel to Merseyside to become Brendan Rodgers’ first signing of the summer. He is believed to have agreed personal terms with Liverpool and the transfer is expected to be completed by Monday.[/article]
Echo (James Pearce)
[article]The Kirkby-born 32-year-old will undergo a medical on Merseyside on Saturday after the Reds agreed a fee of £4million plus add-ons for the England international.[/article]
What a steal it would be if Maddock's version is true.
[article=http://www.mirror.co.uk/sport/football/transfer-news/southampton-fight-transfer-bids-nine-3627428#ixzz33GUBqcND ]England star Rickie Lambert will today complete a move to Liverpool, by signing a two year contract worth around £40,000 a week, after undergoing a medical on Merseyside.
The deal will bring Saints an initial £2m down payment, with that figure doubling over the course of the contract, subject to incentives. But that will be small change compared to the other deals that are close to completion.[/article]
Guardian (Jamie Jackson)
[article=http://www.theguardian.com/football/2014/may/30/rickie-lambert-transfer-start-mass-exodus-southampton]Lambert is due to have a medical on Merseyside on Saturday after Southampton accepted a revised offer from Liverpool for the England striker. The 32-year-old was the subject of a bid of £4m plus add-ons on Thursday by Liverpool, who became aware of the Kirkby-born player’s availability during their inquiries for Lallana and the Croatian central defender Lovren. Both players are of interest to Pochettino at Spurs with the Argentinian manager also having targeted Rodriguez, their currently injured team-mate.
Discussions over the structure of the deal for Lambert, with Liverpool offering several performance-related payments, continued on Friday when Southampton accepted £4.5m up front, plus add-ons. Lambert will be involved in England’s World Cup warm-up game against Peru at Wembley on Friday and, barring any problems, will then travel to Merseyside to become Brendan Rodgers’ first signing of the summer. He is believed to have agreed personal terms with Liverpool and the transfer is expected to be completed by Monday.[/article]
Echo (James Pearce)
[article]The Kirkby-born 32-year-old will undergo a medical on Merseyside on Saturday after the Reds agreed a fee of £4million plus add-ons for the England international.[/article]
What a steal it would be if Maddock's version is true.
[article=http://www.liverpoolecho.co.uk/sport/football/football-news/rickie-lambert-liverpool-fc-five-7195732]In 37 appearances last season, he notched 13 goals – more than Robin van Persie, Christian Benteke, Emmanuel Adebayor, Fernando Torres and Samuel Eto'o.
Only two players over 30 made more appearances than Lambert last season.
Lambert had 103 shots on goal last season – the fifth-highest in the Premier League last season – with an accuracy of 51%, slightly worse than Luis Suarez (53%) and slightly better than Daniel Sturridge (49%).
In the past two seasons, he's attempted more through balls (94) than David Silva and Jack Wilshere – as well as Suarez and Philippe Coutinho.
The addition of Lambert would see the Reds possess four of the top eight Premier League players in terms of both goals scored and assists made in 2013/14.
He averages 1.5 key passes per game and created 53 chances last season for the Saints.
He only scored one goal with his head last season.
The last player to hail from Kirkby was Phil Thompson.[/article]
Only two players over 30 made more appearances than Lambert last season.
Lambert had 103 shots on goal last season – the fifth-highest in the Premier League last season – with an accuracy of 51%, slightly worse than Luis Suarez (53%) and slightly better than Daniel Sturridge (49%).
In the past two seasons, he's attempted more through balls (94) than David Silva and Jack Wilshere – as well as Suarez and Philippe Coutinho.
The addition of Lambert would see the Reds possess four of the top eight Premier League players in terms of both goals scored and assists made in 2013/14.
He averages 1.5 key passes per game and created 53 chances last season for the Saints.
He only scored one goal with his head last season.
The last player to hail from Kirkby was Phil Thompson.[/article]
John Aldridge:
[article=http://www.liverpoolecho.co.uk/sport/football/football-news/rickie-lamberts-anfield-arrival-gives-7196533?utm_source=dlvr.it&utm_medium=twitter]Kop legend John Aldridge is backing Rickie Lambert to be a big hit at Anfield as he insisted: “It's a great piece of business.”
The Kirkby-born England striker is set to complete his £4million transfer from Southampton to Liverpool FC this weekend.
Brendan Rodgers' swoop for the 32-year-old 6ft 2ins frontman came out of the blue but Aldridge says the “fairytale” move for the boyhood Reds fan makes perfect sense.
“Christmas has come early for Rickie and I'm absolutely made up for him,” Aldridge told the ECHO.
“He will give us that bit of a Plan B which we didn't have last season.
“When you looked at the bench when we were challenging for the title Brendan didn't really have any options on the bench to change things.
“It was a choice between Iago Aspas or Victor Moses, and it was pretty clear they weren't going to change a game for us.
“But Rickie with his aerial ability, with the way he attacks balls coming into the box, gives us that different threat when it comes to getting crosses in.
“Teams are going to park the bus at Anfield next season and we will need different approaches to try to break them down. With Rickie it means if we need to we can mix it up.
“He can lead the line well and he can hold it up and bring others into play. He's also no mug on the floor, if he wasn't technically good he wouldn't be in England's World Cup squad.
“It's a great piece of business and I'm delighted for him.”
There are clear parallels between Lambert's remarkable journey to Anfield and the one Aldridge took himself during his playing career.
Both had their dreams of making the grade at Liverpool crushed as teenagers.
Both dusted themselves down and battled their way to the top with their performances in the lower leagues. Both were late developers.
Aldridge, who scored 63 goals in 104 games for the Reds following his move from Oxford United in January 1987, knows exactly how Lambert will be feeling.
“There are a lot of similarities,” Aldridge admitted.
“Like me, Rickie is a diehard fan. Rickie was released by Liverpool at the age of 15, I went for trials at the club at the same age.
“I spent six weeks at Melwood working with Tom Saunders. They told me they would give me a ring back but I waited 13 years for that phone call!
“When it eventually came it cost Liverpool nearly £1million to sign me from Oxford.
“Getting rejected like that as a kid provided great motivation for me. It spurred me on and I'm sure it was the same for Rickie.
“Playing for Liverpool was always my ambition. My wife Joan used to laugh when I said that was still my target. I always wore No 8 at my other clubs because of Roger Hunt - I loved him growing up.
“To be honest, deep down I never thought signing for Liverpool would happen. When it did I was 28 and I got a bit of luck with Ian Rush going to Juventus and Liverpool needing a replacement.
“The older I got, the better I got, and Rickie was a late starter himself. My son Paul used to travel in the same car as Rickie when they both on the books at Macclesfield.
“Joining Liverpool in '87 was a dream come true for me and I'm sure Rickie is buzzing at the moment. It's a bit of a fairytale and for it to happen at such a late stage in his football life makes it even more special.
“I doubt whether he thought this chance would ever come up. What a great way for him to finish his career – at the club he's always supported.”
Aldridge says Rodgers has not only secured the services of a talented Premier League striker but also one with the attitude and the application to go with his ability.
With prolific duo Luis Suarez and Daniel Sturridge for company, Lambert is unlikely to be a regular starter but with the Reds competing on four fronts in 2014/15 he will get his opportunities to impress.
“Rickie will know that in all likelihood he will only be a squad player,” Aldridge said.
“Obviously, Luis and Daniel will be first choice but they aren't going to be able to play every game next season. With a much heavier fixture schedule the manager will need to give players a rest at certain times.
“I'm sure Rickie will do well. He's got great experience in the Premier League with Southampton and he's also an England international.
“He doesn't get injured and what you will get from him is a real hunger to succeed. He has fought so hard to get where he has.
“He's a Scouser and it's always nice to have them in the squad as they know exactly what representing the club is all about.
“He will mix really well in the dressing room so he ticks all the boxes. It's just a fantastic move for him.”
Shelling out £4million for a player in the twilight years of his career marks a significant swift in the club's transfer strategy.
Owners Fenway Sports Group had previously insisted on investing in young talent with potential who would have a sell-on value.
It's the first time under FSG the Reds have paid a fee for someone over the age of 30 but Aldridge believes it will prove to be money well spent.
“Some people will look at it and say £4million is expensive for a 32-year-old,” he added.
“But Rickie has been playing the best football of his career and that's why he's established himself in the England squad.
“Jamie Carragher played until he was 35 and there is no reason why Rickie can't do the same.
“His scoring record for Southampton was excellent. He got 14 goals last season and if he can repeat that haul for Liverpool next season we will all be delighted.
“Also, £4million is the kind of fee we will get for selling either Oussama Assaidi or Iago Aspas, and I'd certainly much rather have Rickie than one of those two. He can make things happen in the penalty box.
“I hope he's the first of the six quality players we need to bring in this summer to ensure we're really able to kick on next season.”[/article]
[article=http://www.liverpoolecho.co.uk/sport/football/football-news/rickie-lamberts-anfield-arrival-gives-7196533?utm_source=dlvr.it&utm_medium=twitter]Kop legend John Aldridge is backing Rickie Lambert to be a big hit at Anfield as he insisted: “It's a great piece of business.”
The Kirkby-born England striker is set to complete his £4million transfer from Southampton to Liverpool FC this weekend.
Brendan Rodgers' swoop for the 32-year-old 6ft 2ins frontman came out of the blue but Aldridge says the “fairytale” move for the boyhood Reds fan makes perfect sense.
“Christmas has come early for Rickie and I'm absolutely made up for him,” Aldridge told the ECHO.
“He will give us that bit of a Plan B which we didn't have last season.
“When you looked at the bench when we were challenging for the title Brendan didn't really have any options on the bench to change things.
“It was a choice between Iago Aspas or Victor Moses, and it was pretty clear they weren't going to change a game for us.
“But Rickie with his aerial ability, with the way he attacks balls coming into the box, gives us that different threat when it comes to getting crosses in.
“Teams are going to park the bus at Anfield next season and we will need different approaches to try to break them down. With Rickie it means if we need to we can mix it up.
“He can lead the line well and he can hold it up and bring others into play. He's also no mug on the floor, if he wasn't technically good he wouldn't be in England's World Cup squad.
“It's a great piece of business and I'm delighted for him.”
There are clear parallels between Lambert's remarkable journey to Anfield and the one Aldridge took himself during his playing career.
Both had their dreams of making the grade at Liverpool crushed as teenagers.
Both dusted themselves down and battled their way to the top with their performances in the lower leagues. Both were late developers.
Aldridge, who scored 63 goals in 104 games for the Reds following his move from Oxford United in January 1987, knows exactly how Lambert will be feeling.
“There are a lot of similarities,” Aldridge admitted.
“Like me, Rickie is a diehard fan. Rickie was released by Liverpool at the age of 15, I went for trials at the club at the same age.
“I spent six weeks at Melwood working with Tom Saunders. They told me they would give me a ring back but I waited 13 years for that phone call!
“When it eventually came it cost Liverpool nearly £1million to sign me from Oxford.
“Getting rejected like that as a kid provided great motivation for me. It spurred me on and I'm sure it was the same for Rickie.
“Playing for Liverpool was always my ambition. My wife Joan used to laugh when I said that was still my target. I always wore No 8 at my other clubs because of Roger Hunt - I loved him growing up.
“To be honest, deep down I never thought signing for Liverpool would happen. When it did I was 28 and I got a bit of luck with Ian Rush going to Juventus and Liverpool needing a replacement.
“The older I got, the better I got, and Rickie was a late starter himself. My son Paul used to travel in the same car as Rickie when they both on the books at Macclesfield.
“Joining Liverpool in '87 was a dream come true for me and I'm sure Rickie is buzzing at the moment. It's a bit of a fairytale and for it to happen at such a late stage in his football life makes it even more special.
“I doubt whether he thought this chance would ever come up. What a great way for him to finish his career – at the club he's always supported.”
Aldridge says Rodgers has not only secured the services of a talented Premier League striker but also one with the attitude and the application to go with his ability.
With prolific duo Luis Suarez and Daniel Sturridge for company, Lambert is unlikely to be a regular starter but with the Reds competing on four fronts in 2014/15 he will get his opportunities to impress.
“Rickie will know that in all likelihood he will only be a squad player,” Aldridge said.
“Obviously, Luis and Daniel will be first choice but they aren't going to be able to play every game next season. With a much heavier fixture schedule the manager will need to give players a rest at certain times.
“I'm sure Rickie will do well. He's got great experience in the Premier League with Southampton and he's also an England international.
“He doesn't get injured and what you will get from him is a real hunger to succeed. He has fought so hard to get where he has.
“He's a Scouser and it's always nice to have them in the squad as they know exactly what representing the club is all about.
“He will mix really well in the dressing room so he ticks all the boxes. It's just a fantastic move for him.”
Shelling out £4million for a player in the twilight years of his career marks a significant swift in the club's transfer strategy.
Owners Fenway Sports Group had previously insisted on investing in young talent with potential who would have a sell-on value.
It's the first time under FSG the Reds have paid a fee for someone over the age of 30 but Aldridge believes it will prove to be money well spent.
“Some people will look at it and say £4million is expensive for a 32-year-old,” he added.
“But Rickie has been playing the best football of his career and that's why he's established himself in the England squad.
“Jamie Carragher played until he was 35 and there is no reason why Rickie can't do the same.
“His scoring record for Southampton was excellent. He got 14 goals last season and if he can repeat that haul for Liverpool next season we will all be delighted.
“Also, £4million is the kind of fee we will get for selling either Oussama Assaidi or Iago Aspas, and I'd certainly much rather have Rickie than one of those two. He can make things happen in the penalty box.
“I hope he's the first of the six quality players we need to bring in this summer to ensure we're really able to kick on next season.”[/article]
Sounds pretty cruel does that dantes.
I don't know why the press have to make a deal of FSG's strategy and how certain signings are "against it", surely the makings of a good ownership is that you are willing to be flexible in your approach. We've built a young team, it's clear that at times we lack cool heads and a bit of experience. I'd sooner they do this, than we take the Arsenal school of thought and be constantly stubborn and stringent around our ideas. That kind of thinking cost us with previous managers, so fair play to Rodgers and FSG.
I think Lambert will fit in well at the club and have a great attitude towards his role. It's a rags to riches kinda story, the chance to play for his hometown club, and I think we're getting a clever player who has improved with time. The low fee makes this a no risk deal.
R
RedZeppelin III
Guest
clearly him.
It's very mild for dantes.
Think of it like our transfer policy, where you do it no matter the cost, then reserve judgement, give it the time it deserves, and a couple of years later make the call on whether it was right/wrong/cruel.
Usually I'd laugh, but I was in Liverpool walking into a club which is much easier to do than in London, and a bouncer who doesn't even know me says "you're one scary looking motherfucker" and then proceeded to let me in. It was nothing to do with my fashion or what I was wearing which was normal, it can only have been a look he noticed in my eye.
Whereas you get a gold star for spelling "hattrick" with 2 "t"s. 🙂
Many of your opinions suggest that you have walked into a club many times.
Or even worse you were beaten over the head with it.
😉
- Status
