Rickie Lambert Hopes to Kick-Start His Liverpool Career After a Slow Start

Rickie Lambert hopes to kick-start his Liverpool career after a difficult start to life at Anfield.

The 32-year-old striker joined the Merseyside club in the summer for around £4.5m after an excellent campaign at Southampton, scoring 13 Premier League goals and earning a sport in the England squad for the World Cup.

However, Lambert is yet to score his first goal for Brendan Rodgers' side since his arrival to the club.

"I've missed a few chances, which I look back on and I know I should have scored. But I try not to beat myself up too much. I might have done that in the past a little bit too much," Lambert said to Liverpool's official website.

"I'm trying to relax a little bit more and just believe in my ability, because I know I'm good enough and I'm working hard enough. It's not too far away, the first goal. Whenever that comes and whatever way it comes, it's going to push my confidence even higher."

Even though Mario Balotelli has also struggled up-front and Daniel Sturridge has missed a number of games due to an injury, Rodgers has only handed Lambert one starting Premier League appearance.

"Personally, I've tried to focus on getting myself fit and sharp for when my moment comes. Whether I'm starting, or whether I come off the bench, I want to contribute the way I know I can contribute.

"It's a long, long season and I know there's going to be a lot of opportunities for me coming up. I'm confident now that I'm more than ready for when the opportunity comes."

Lambert hopes to convince the manager to have more playing time in the future but also expects collective improvements in the team after a difficult start to the Premier League, with Liverpool ninth in the league after securing just 10 points from seven games.

"Obviously we would have liked to have started better and won more points," Lambert told Liverpoolfc.com. "I think most teams would say the same. But we understand the calibre of the teams we've played and we've done OK.

"Now we have a chance to try to push ourselves right up the league. That starts on Sunday against QPR. We've got to start looking to take three points now from each and every game."