Southampton have been blessed with some seriously impressive attackers in recent years, when they’ve plied their trade in the EFL.
While he cut ties with the Saints in January, Adam Armstrong is undoubtedly one of the very best Southampton have had the privilege of calling their own up top, with 43 goals next to his name in Saints red and white, by the time he departed abruptly for Molineux.
Tonda Eckert has the likes of Leo Scienza and Finn Azaz at his disposal now, too, who will be looking to fire the South Coast outfit back to the Premier League, with 19 goals between them this season.
But they all pale in comparison next to Rickie Lambert, who was a man possessed in front of goal for Southampton, as they rose from League One obscurity to Premier League dreamland during his decorated spell at the club.
Lambert’s legendary status at St. Mary’s
Costing £1m when he arrived through the door in 2009, Lambert had a reputation for being an EFL journeyman, with an eye for goal.
Indeed, he had previously plied his trade for the likes of Stockport County, Rochdale, and Bristol Rovers in the lower reaches of the EFL’s many divisions, before pulling on his new Southampton colours.
He was an immediate hit on the South Coast with his unerring ability in front of goal, with a staggering 78 goals scored during his first three campaigns at the club, culminating in the sleeping giants pulling off back-to-back promotions up to the Premier League.
Not always the best to watch when it came to skilful bursts forward or link-up play, Lambert certainly made up for some of the deficiencies in his skillset with his unbelievable finishing ability.
As Alan Pardew once put it, who originally signed him at Southampton the 11-time England international could score “with his left foot, his right foot and his head” if the right opportunity arose.
Eckert could well have a modern-day Lambert in the making right now in his promotion-chasing ranks, as this seasoned striker has become a lethal finisher for Southampton, across recent crunch encounters.
Eckert’s very own Lambert
Southampton have blended youth and experience perfectly together this season.
While Jack Stephens is clearly ageing now at 32 years of age, he is still a vital player under the Eckert regime, next to the more sprightly Taylor Harwood-Bellis.
Likewise, while the tricky Kuryu Matsuki is a real handful to try and contain at only 22 years of age, the German also has a more well-travelled figure to call upon to lead the line in Cyle Larin, who is becoming his very own Lambert.
At 30 years of age, the Canadian centre-forward has been around the block before moving to England on loan, much like Lambert before he embarked on his Saints adventure.
Indeed, Larin has called the likes of Turkey, Spain, and the United States his home across a nomadic career, but like the now-retired Saints icon, he looks to have found a very comfortable location in St. Mary’s to show off his goalscoring best.
He has been a devastating poacher in Eckert’s ranks, ever since leaving Mallorca behind on loan in January, with six goals amassed from only 15 appearances to date.
Three of those strikes have come across Southampton’s last four league games, with the Ontario-born machine potentially scoring the all-important goals right now that seals promotion very shortly.
It remains to be seen if Larin will stick it out on the South Coast, past this fruitful loan stint, as he does have an option-to-buy clause inserted into his deal.
But it’s clear that whatever does happen, he is an ice-cold finisher of chances that can be depended on, for the time being.
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