Rickie Lambert has admitted his match fitness is a cause for concern as he adjusts to swapping regular first team football at Southampton for a bit-part role with Liverpool.
The 32-year-old made his first start for his boyhood club in Tuesday’s remarkable 14-13 penalty shootout win over Middlesbrough in the Capital One Cup but was replaced by Mario Balotelli on 74 minutes having struggled in the game.
Lambert was appointed captain for the night by Brendan Rodgers but claims the honour was overshadowed by an off-key performance that stemmed from a lack of sharpness. The England international had made only four substitute appearances for Liverpool prior to Tuesday, playing 59 minutes in total, and plans to revise his training regime with the club’s fitness coaches following his full Anfield debut.
“I didn’t feel as sharp as I want to feel,” said the £4.5m summer signing. “It was things like my touches but that [sharpness] was the main thing I want to look at going back into training. I want to get my match fitness up because obviously everyone knows I’m not playing every game so I have to adapt myself now. I think I’m going to have to do more so my fitness is up to the same level as everybody else.
“It’s my sharpness and my fitness which I need to get on the training pitch and start improving it. I do work, I push myself to the limit, but maybe I am going to have to go to the fitness coach after this game and see if I can do more.”
Lambert believes the determination to make an impression at his new club, and the limited opportunity to do so thus far, is another issue he has to contend with following five successful years at Southampton. “That’s probably an aspect as well. I’ve got to take into consideration and not let it affect me,” he said. “But that’s just the way it is and the situation I’m in. I’m more than confident I can get myself fit and start contributing the way I know I can contribute.”
The striker’s limited playing time will also concern England ahead of next month’s Euro 2016 qualifiers against San Marino and Estonia.
Lambert admits it was an honour to captain Liverpool against the Championship side but wanted to contribute more. He explained: “The manager pulled me in and said: ‘You’re going to be skipper,’ so it was a great honour to lead the team. It was a nice surprise but, forgetting about that, it was a strange game. I wasn’t happy with my own performance so that overshadowed the honour of being captain a little bit.”