Southampton Football Club News

• Nickname:Saints
• Founded:1885
• Manager:Nigel Adkins

• Ground:St. Mary's Stadium
• Capacity:32,551

Saints splash out for Lambert

10 Aug 2009 - 14:10:39

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Southampton have paid in excess of £1million to secure the services of Bristol Rovers striker Rickie Lambert.

The 28-year-old has signed a three-year contract with the Saints, having scored 59 goals in three seasons with the Pirates.

Rovers director of football, Lennie Lawrence, told the club's official website: "We felt that for a player who will be 28 this season this is the right move for the player and the club.

"The way things are done these days, where the player knows what his salary will be before the fee is agreed, made it a virtually untenable situation for us.

"I don't begrudge Rickie in the slightest, but people have to understand the situation that we faced. Southampton have doubled his wages.

"That makes the player unmanageable if you like, because that's a life-changing move, especially at his ago.

"So we have to bear that in mind, get what we consider to be the right price and I, in conjunction with the chairman, have negotiated hard to get the best possible deal."