Rickie Lambert wants to put Euro fail behind him with win over Man U

Lambert: Lot of respect but there’s hatred too!

Rickie Lambert admits that being hooked off the pitch at half-time during Liverpool’s Champions League game against Basel hurt badly.

But the England striker is now determined to use the pain to bounce back in the most important fixture of them all for the club’s fans and he should know because he’s one of them.

Lambert faces Manchester United this afternoon knowing that critics are talking about his dream summer move to his hometown club becoming a nightmare.

He hardly played in the first three months and just when it looked like he was making the most of a run in the side, Brendan Rodgers hauled him off midway through a match he desperately needed to win.

“It wasn’t nice but I don’t really want to go into too much detail,” he says. “I’ve been hurting all week, just like everyone has, and we’ve just got to rectify that.

“I’ve kept my head down. I haven’t looked at any media. I have to try and get it out of my system now. The best way to do that is to have a brilliant game against United.

“I was waiting for my chance and I believe took it. I thought I was doing well and that I was contributing. I’m not going to let a bad performance detract from that.

“I’m not one to get too high when things are going well and or get too low when they’re not. I’ve always believed in my ability and that I can score goals. I’m more than confident that I can start scoring here.”

If Lambert had his way, he would banish all reference to him “living the dream” since he returned to the club he left as a young teenager.

“All thoughts of living the dream quickly got eradicated,” he says.

“Just because I’m a Liverpool fan it doesn’t mean it’s nice when we’re not winning or I’m not playing. It’s probably worse.

“Those thoughts quickly went out of my mind and I’m trying to eradicate them from everyone else’s too. I just want to be a player.

“It hurt me just as much when I was at Southampton and they weren’t doing well. I’d be the same at any other club.

“I’m trying not to look at the United game as a fan any more. I’ve got a job to do. It’s a game I’ve always watched. I’ve been to a few at Anfield. I went to Wembley for the Cup Final when Eric Cantona scored the goal.

“It’s brilliant to watch the atmosphere, the intensity. There’s a lot of respect but a bit of hatred as well!

“If we can’t get up for Sunday, we can’t get up for any game. It’s perfect to get the team rallied and get us going again.

“I’m not saying that everything can click into gear in one game and then we’ll be fine. But if we get the performance we’re after, it will give us a boost.

“I think you’ll see the best of us after Christmas with the new signings settling more and, hopefully, Danny Sturridge back. We’ve still got excellent players and when we click we’ll be a force.”