Rickie: Why Gerrard is my greatest Red
Rickie Lambert has watched a succession of superstars dazzle at Anfield during his many years as a Liverpool supporter, but the striker's all-time Reds hero remains a man he can now call a teammate.
The 32-year-old was Brendan Rodgers' first new recruit in the summer, capping a career trajectory that had carried the Scouser from the lower leagues to the top flight and then his boyhood club.
His transfer from Southampton was reward for back-to-back campaigns in which Lambert breached double figures in the Barclays Premier League with his powerful and clinical approach play.
It also provided the England international with a chance to call Steven Gerrard a colleague not just at international level but on a daily basis around the pitches and facilities of the pristine Melwood.
Lambert's admiration for the Liverpool captain is such that when he was recently asked to choose his 10 greatest Reds heroes, there was no alternative for No.1 than the inspirational midfielder.
"There was a period of five years when he was the best player in the world," he explained when sharing his personal list in an exclusive discussion with LFC Xtra.
"He's gone on to win so many trophies. I know he hasn't won the Premier League but he's won almost everything else. He has driven the club on so many times, it is unbelievable.
"He's really down-to-earth and made me feel really welcome at England when I first joined. I remember being very nervous around him actually because I looked up to him so much. But he was a normal lad."
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