Rickie Lee Lambert (born 16 February 1982) is an English former professional footballer who is currently an Academy Youth Development Coach at Wigan Athletic.

[4] A striker, 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.

[5] 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.

[12] 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.

[14] Lambert remained a free agent for almost four months, during which time he worked in a beetroot bottling plant to make ends meet,[11] 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.

[15] In the 2001–02 season, Lambert became a regular for Macclesfield, with a total of 40 appearances and 10 goals,[16] 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.

[20] 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,[21] and in a 2–2 draw with former club Blackpool on 22 March 2003.

[24] 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.

[25] 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.

In the 2005–06 season, the striker featured in all 46 of Rochdale's league matches, scoring a total of 22 goals in the campaign,[28] including one in a 3–1 defeat of former club Macclesfield Town.

[29] Early into the 2006–07 season, Lambert was purchased for £200,000 from Rochdale by Bristol Rovers in a move finalised on 31 August 2006, transfer deadline day.

[45] On 10 August 2009, with a total of 155 appearances and 59 goals for Bristol Rovers, Lambert completed a move worth in excess of £1 million to recently relegated League One club Southampton.

[48] Other notable goals scored by Lambert during the season include one against local rivals Portsmouth in the FA Cup fifth round South Coast derby on 13 February 2010 a match his team lost 4–1 at home,[49] a hat-trick against Milton Keynes Dons in the league on 20 March 2010,[50] and a penalty against Carlisle United in the 4–1 Football League Trophy Final win at Wembley Stadium on 28 March 2010.

[citation needed] In February 2011, Lambert scored two consecutive braces: the first was in a 2–1 away win at Exeter City,[55] and the second was two penalties in a 4–4 away draw against Peterborough United.

Lambert started the 2013–14 Premier League season with another goal, a last-minute penalty in a 1–0 win over West Bromwich Albion at the Hawthorns on 17 August 2013.

On 2 June 2014, Lambert was confirmed as a Liverpool player after passing a medical, signing a two-year contract for an initial £4 million transfer fee plus add-ons.

[71] He made his competitive debut for the club on 17 August in their first match of the new Premier League season, replacing Philippe Coutinho for the last 14 minutes of a 2–1 win over Southampton at Anfield.

[73] Four days later he scored his first goal in European competition, the first equaliser in a 2–2 draw away to Ludogorets Razgrad in the Champions League group stage.

[76] On 31 July 2015, Lambert joined West Bromwich Albion on a two-year contract for an undisclosed fee, reported to be in the region of £3 million.

[94] On 8 August 2013, Lambert was called up to the England squad for the first time at the age of 31,[7][8] on the same day that his wife gave birth to their third child, a daughter, Bella.

[95] Six days later, he scored on his England debut with his first touch of the match against Scotland from a header, two minutes and 43 seconds after coming on as a substitute for Wayne Rooney to secure a 3–2 win for his country.

[96] Lambert earned a second call-up on 27 August 2013, when Roy Hodgson named him in the England squad to face Moldova and Ukraine in 2014 FIFA World Cup qualifiers.

[9] In a preparation match for the tournament against Ecuador, on 4 June in Miami, he received the ball from Ross Barkley and scored to give England the lead in an eventual 2–2 draw.

[100] On 8 September 2014, in England's first UEFA Euro 2016 qualifying match against Switzerland, Lambert came on as a 90th-minute substitute and with his first touch assisted Danny Welbeck to seal the 2–0 win in Basel.