West Bromwich Albion have completed a £3million deal for Rickie Lambert, who has already found the back of the net for his new club in a friendly.
The 33-year-old sealed a dream move to Liverpool last summer, when his boyhood heroes paid £4.5million to take him from Southampton. However, he struggled to make an impact at Anfield, making just 12 starts in all competitions and scoring three times. Had he stayed on Merseyside, he would likely have faced another campaign on the bench, something he was eager to avoid.
“I think the prospect of going into another season not playing was not going to happen,” the England international, who made his debut for his country in 2013 and now has three goals from 11 caps, told the official website of his new club. “There were a few inquiries, but West Bromwich Albion just felt right from the very beginning. That was the overriding factor.”
The Baggies have paid £3million for Lambert, who was thrust into first team action immediately and chipped in with a goal in a 4-0 friendly win over Bristol Rovers – a club he spent three years at from 2006 to 2009. He becomes Tony Pulis’ third signing ahead of the new season, following the acquisition of James McClean from Wigan Athletic and James Chester from Hull City.
“Rickie is a good, strong, solid player who is a great character, good in the dressing room and good on the pitch,” Pulis told the official club website. “We are very pleased to have him on board. He’s a player of great pedigree and we look forward to integrating him into our squad.”
