Lambert: I’ll prove I’m No 1
PAUL LAMBERT could not care less that he was not Stoke’s first choice to be their new manager.
The 48-year-old has been called in to rescue the club from relegation but only after botched moves for Martin O’Neill and Quique Sanchez Flores.
Derby manager Gary Rowett was also on Stoke’s radar before their shock move for Lambert. The former Aston Villa, Norwich and Wolves boss has signed a two-and-a-halfyear deal with a seven-figure bonus due if he can secure their top-flight status.
“Whether I was 15th choice or 50th choice doesn’t matter to me one bit,” said Lambert. “I am just delighted to be here and I am really excited. I thought I might not get another chance in the Premier League.
“To be given it at a great club like this is fantastic. I can’t wait. I am not new to this – it’s not something that fazes me. I’m 100 per cent sure we’ve got more than enough here to stay up. There’s no two ways about it.
“There are some really good players here. They shouldn’t be in this position but it’s up to us to do something about it.”
Stoke, who lost 3-0 at Manchester United on Monday night as Lambert looked on from the stands, are third from bottom.
But he has never been relegated and says those who question him should remember he has always been a scrapper as both a player and manager.
“When I signed for Borussia Dortmund as a player would the fans have been happy then?” said Lambert. “Would they have known who I was? No they wouldn’t.
“I was just a run-of-the-mill footballer playing with Motherwell then going into a dressing room full of world-class players and I was having to hold my own.”