Rickie Lee Lambert (born 16 February 1982) is an English former professional footballer who is currently an Academy Youth Development Coach at Wigan Athletic. During his career, he played as a striker, before retiring in 2017. He won a number of personal awards, including two league Golden Boots. Lambert was known for his large stature and physical performances, drawing comparisons with former Southampton player Matt Le Tissier for his ability in front of goal and penalty record.
He began his career at Blackpool, having been previously dropped by Liverpool as a youngster, and played in the Football League with Macclesfield Town, Stockport County, Rochdale, Bristol Rovers before joining Southampton for over £1 million in 2009. Lambert proved a key signing for Southampton, becoming their top scorer as they were promoted to the Championship from League One in 2011 and to the Premier League the following season, scoring 117 goals for the team across all competitions. After a season back at Liverpool, he had a season each at West Bromwich Albion and Cardiff City. Lambert announced his retirement in October 2017 after being unable to find a new club following his departure from Cardiff City.
On 8 August 2013, Lambert was called up to the England team for the first time, scoring on his England debut at Wembley Stadium in a friendly against Scotland with his first touch. On 12 May 2014, he was named in the England squad for the 2014 FIFA World Cup.
Club career
Early career
Lambert was born and brought up in the Westvale area of Kirkby, Merseyside by parents Maureen and Ray. Lambert joined local club Liverpool as a youngster aged 10, but was released when he was 15.
Blackpool
Lambert tried out for non-League club Marine, before becoming a trainee with Blackpool in August 1998 at the age of 16. He made his professional debut on 7 August 1999 as a 17-year-old, coming on as a 68th-minute substitute for Andy Couzens in a 2–1 Second Division win against Wrexham at Bloomfield Road. He made two more substitute appearances in the 1999–2000 season, which ended with Blackpool being relegated. The following season Lambert was on a month-to-month contract and struggling to get a place in the reserves. He was released by Steve McMahon in November 2000.
Macclesfield Town
Lambert remained a free agent for almost four months, during which time he worked in a beetroot bottling plant to make ends meet, until he was signed by another Third Division club, Macclesfield Town in March 2001, where he made a total of 9 league appearances in the remainder of the 2000–01 season. In the 2001–02 season Lambert became a regular for Macclesfield, with a total of 40 appearances and 10 goals, his first two finishes coming in a 2–2 draw with Forest Green Rovers in the FA Cup first round on 17 November 2001, starting with a penalty. A week later, Lambert scored his first hat-trick in a 4–1 league win against Luton Town at Moss Rose.
Stockport County
Macclesfield received a club record transfer fee of £300,000 for Lambert from Second Division club Stockport County, in a move which was completed on 26 April 2002. In his first season in the third-tier, Lambert made a total of 32 appearances in all competitions, although only scored two goals (both in league matches) – in a 2–5 loss against Swindon Town on 18 January 2003, and in a 2–2 draw with former club Blackpool on 22 March 2003. The 2003–04 season would prove to be Lambert's most successful (on a personal) yet, as 40 league appearances yielded 12 goals in a relegation-threatened season, including another against Blackpool and two in a late win against Rushden & Diamonds in the late stages of the season. Lambert was a regular for Stockport at the beginning of the newly restructured 2004–05 season, but following poor team performances and a very real threat of relegation for the club he left in February 2005.
Rochdale
Despite now being a relatively accomplished player, Lambert moved down a division to League Two club Rochdale from Stockport on 17 February 2005, the day after his 23rd birthday, for an undisclosed fee. Lambert scored his first goal for the club only nine days after his transfer, in a 1–1 draw with Kidderminster Harriers, but could not help secure promotion for the club. In 2005–06, the striker featured in all 46 of Rochdale's league matches, scoring a total of 22 goals in the campaign, including one in a 3–1 defeat of former club Macclesfield Town.