Wednesday, 16th July, 2014
Liverpool striker Rickie Lambert has revealed that he is looking forward to hitting the ground running and playing well for his side in the upcoming campaign.
The 32-year-old, who joined the Reds from their Premier League rivals Southampton this summer, has already got his pre-season preparations under way to be in shape for the 2014/15 season.
And Lambert insisted that it is the first time in his career that he is excited about pre-season.
The England international, who is aware that age is not in his favour, further added that he is enjoying the training, although it is rigorous.
"Probably for the first time in my career I've been looking forward to pre-season – and it's not bad for a 32-year-old to be saying that”, Lambert explained to Liverpool’s official site.
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"I was itching to get back, be with the lads and play football. It's good. It's my second day and I'm enjoying it. It's hard, but I'm feeling good.
"This [early start] is what I have to do now; it's no longer a choice for me, really. I know my body and know what I've got to do, to get into the same shape as everybody else and it tends to be that I need to do a little bit more.
"It was always my intention to come back earlier, whether I was at Southampton or Liverpool – but obviously I am desperate to hit the ground running and do well for Liverpool.
"I thought it was massively important I come back early, and make sure I'm in the best shape possible for when the season kicks off, because that's what all this is for."
Lambert, who joined Southampton from Bristol Rovers in 2009, scored 115 goals in 229 appearances in all competitions for the Saints.
He has seven caps and three goals for England to his name.
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