Rickie Lambert

[The_weatherman]

Starting up front tonight with all his Liverpool teammates.

When England play Uruguay LFC could realistically have 7 players starting. 8 if Lallana joins and 9 if Cotes plays.

That's brilliant, so if Lallana joins it would be 7 England players with the eighth on standby.

[BigChief]

Six England players plus Suarez without Lallana.

[The_weatherman]

Six England players plus Suarez without Lallana.

Yea, like I said

[BigChief]

Gotcha, my brain running slow.

[Montana]

Great striker of the ball and intelligent movement

[Mostar]

[SB]

alot of praise was gushed for him in the speculation thread. we are all just shooting dust now.

👏👏

I'm trying to buck a trend on Est by not commenting on someone I've rarely seen play

good luck with that.

[BigChief]

Loved his intelligence on the ball. A few misplaced passes but never a hint of panic or cluelessness.

And what a strike. Only two other players can produce strikes like that at our club: Studge and Luis.

[red g]

going to be a great fit, what a bargain!

[Mostar]

Rickie Lambert vs Ecuador


[ame="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EUTC-EjSDKE"]RL18 - YouTube[/ame]

[Shaggy]

Loved his intelligence on the ball. A few misplaced passes but never a hint of panic or cluelessness.

And what a strike. Only two other players can produce strikes like that at our club: Studge and Luis.

Good eh. Always composed on the ball, always got his head up, lovely touch and awareness of what's going on around him.

[Pablo]

Loved his intelligence on the ball. A few misplaced passes but never a hint of panic or cluelessness.

And what a strike. Only two other players can produce strikes like that at our club: Studge and Luis.

Steven Gerrard might disagree with that

[tsb]

Steven Gerrard might disagree with that

Been a while though

[SB]

Steven Gerrard might disagree with that

Been way too long for that.

[Shaggy]

http://au.eurosport.com/football/lambert-has-desire-to-succeed_sto4275120/story.shtml

New Liverpool striker Rickie Lambert will seize his chance to play at the highest level as a determination to succeed has been the driving force throughout his career, according to a former manager.

Gil Prescott helped rescue the England international's career when he was at risk of being lost to football, signing the then 19-year-old for Macclesfield after four months in the wilderness having been released by the Reds' academy and then subsequently Blackpool.

And while life in the bottom tier of English league football was not easy for Lambert, who scored a thumping effort in England's 2-2 friendly draw against Ecuador on Wednesday, his former boss said even then he showed the sort of quality which has taken him to the World Cup.

"He had gone out of the game a little bit and he was working for a living and he wasn't quite at the fitness levels you expect," Prescott, now a scout for Blackburn, told Press Association Sport.

"But he is such a good lad I said to him, 'If you trust me we'll give you just expenses and when you get right and are physically as it should be we'll give you a little contract' - which is what we did. "He just had that desire, playing was more important to Rickie at the time, he was desperate to play.

"He always had this awareness and quality about him. He was a midfielder as well as a centre-forward, he used to play as a number 10, but he sees things so quickly.

"When we took him I didn't play him initially but I said the higher he goes the better he will become and people looked at me as if I was an idiot.

"In the lower leagues you get hassled, they tread on you, but a bit higher up they give you time and if you give Rickie time he will hurt you.

"I just knew once he got into a higher level he would show people he is really capable. If he pulls the trigger that right foot is like a siege gun.

"He is different from the two strikers Liverpool have got. I watched Suarez a few times in Holland and he scored goals every week and Sturridge is one who can do nothing for 20 minutes and then suddenly spring into action.

"Rickie can play as a 10, he can play up top or play off the striker and even deeper if you want.

"I think Liverpool is a great club for him because I think Brendan Rodgers will allow him the freedom to play the way he does - which is satisfying because there are so many who try to stifle good players today."

Lambert's career path is now the stuff of footballing legend as, being released from Liverpool's academy as a 15-year-old and failing to make his mark at Blackpool, he took a job in a beetroot bottling factory to bring some money in while he tried to get a foothold back in the game.

Macclesfield offered him that chance but even then it was not all plain sailing as a move to nearby Stockport proved difficult and he spent time at Rochdale and Bristol Rovers before enjoying his greatest success at Southampton.

Prescott believes those life experiences have helped shape Lambert into the player he is now. "I am a big believer, maybe against the flow, in thinking not being in an academy sometimes helps you," he added.

"If you are told three times by the time you are 17 you are not good enough you start to believe it and sometimes the ones who come in fresh from non-league haven't been dented and still have that burning desire.

"I just admire Rickie's fortitude. He has gone through some bad times, places you wouldn't necessarily want to be, but he has always kept the faith and he's done brilliantly and I'm so, so proud of him.

"It's a great story. Isn't it nice it has happened to someone who has seen the bad times: been kicked out of football, gone and worked in a beetroot factory. I am dead pleased for him.