Southampton legend Rickie Lambert has decided to retire from playing football.
Twitter: Rickie Lambert has decided to retire from football (@RobHarris)
The 35-year-old striker has been without a club since leaving Cardiff City in July this year and has now decided to call time on his playing career, which saw him score 241 goals for nine clubs over a period of 19 years.
He hangs up his boots having represented England at a World Cup and played at every level of English football from League Two to the Champions League in what has been a brilliant career — the best of which came in his time at Southampton.
Journalist Rob Harris has posted a statement from Rickie on his Facebook page, which reads:
“I feel lucky to have been involved in this sport for as long as I have. I have had some ups and downs in my career but to have represented clubs like Southampton, Liverpool and playing for my Country in a World Cup were beyond my wildest dreams. Playing and scoring for England is probably my proudest professional moment and I will look back at every aspect of how I got there with fond memories.”
“I would like to thank the fans of all of the clubs I played for but especially at Southampton where I enjoyed my best years as a footballer and had a special relationship with everyone connected to the club. Thank you to all the players I have played with and managers I have played for throughout my career, it was an honour to work with you all. Thank you to my family and friends who have always been there for me, especially my gorgeous wife Amy.”
Lambert made 235 appearances for Southampton, scoring 117 goals for the club as they earned back-to-back promotions to go from League One to the Premier League in just two seasons — he scored 28 Premier League goals for the Saints before leaving to join Liverpool in 2014, where he spent one season before a move to West Bromwich Albion.
The Southampton legend might have hung up his boots, but he seems to be intent on returning to the sport after a break with his family, meaning that we could one day see the striker in management:
I will be taking a break for a while to spend some quality time with my family just being a husband and father. In the future I hope to give back as best I can to the game that has given me so much
We wish Rickie all the best in his retirement from playing football and look forward to see him back in the game in some capacity in the future.
