Richard "Rickie" Lambert (born 16 February 1982 in Fazakerley, Liverpool, Merseyside) is an English football player who currently plays for Southampton. Lambert currently plays as striker, but can also play as an attacking midfielder.

[edit] Playing career

Lambert's career started at Blackpool, although he made little impact for the Seasiders, only making three substitute appearances. He then moved to Macclesfield Town on a free transfer. He made 44 league appearances there, netting eight goals.

In June 2002, he was sold for a record fee of £300,000 to Stockport County. He made 98 appearances for County and scored 18 times. After falling out of the manager's plans, Lambert moved to Rochdale for an undisclosed fee in February 2005.^[1]

Lambert made 64 appearances for the Dale scoring 28 goals before signing for Bristol Rovers on transfer-deadline day, 31 August 2006, for £200,000 on a three-year contract.

He scored the only goal in the victory over local rivals Bristol City in the Johnstone's Paint Trophy southern area final second leg. The win gave Rovers a place in the final against Doncaster Rovers at the Millennium Stadium on 1 April 2007 which they lost 3-2.

Lambert scored a vital header against Hartlepool United on 5 May, in the eighty-sixth minute. This header ultimately pushed Bristol Rovers into the 2007 Football League Two playoffs where they completed a 5-3 away victory over Lincoln, which saw them through to the final where they managed to gain promotion to Football League One at Wembley Stadium on 26 May. On 16 February 2008, his 26th birthday, Lambert scored a deflected free-kick from twenty-yards out against Southampton in the fifth round of the FA Cup. It was the only goal of the game.^[2]

Lambert signed a three-year contract on 8 September 2008, to extend his stay with Bristol Rovers until the summer of 2011.^[3] He started the new season well, establishing himself as top scorer in League One with 18 goals before Christmas. This included 4 in one match against Southend in a 4-2 victory. He finished the 2008-09 season as joint-top scorer in the Football League (all three divisions) with 29 League goals, along with Swindon's Simon Cox.

On 10 August 2009 Lambert moved to Southampton for an initial £800,000, which could rise to £1m subject to appearances.^[4] He scored on his debut for the Saints in a Carling Cup tie at home to Northampton Town on 11 August^[5] and followed that up by netting on his league debut in a 1-3 defeat at Huddersfield on 15 August 2009.^[6]

[edit] References

[edit] External links

• Rickie Lambert career stats at Soccerbase
• Rickie Lambert player profile at bristolrovers.co.uk
• Rickie Lambert player profile at rochdaleafc.co.uk
• Rickie Lambert player profile at stockportcounty.com
• Rickie Lambert player profile at saintsfc.co.uk