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NEW BOY RICKIE SET FOR ROVERS DEBUT AT COUNTY
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10:40 - 01 September 2006
Rickie Lambert will make his Bristol Rovers debut at Stockport on Sunday after completing a dramatic move from Rochdale last night. And the 24-year-old Scouser will instantly be pitched into battle against one of his former clubs.

The Pirates finally clinched a replacement for marksman Junior Agogo just a few hours before last night's midnight transfer deadline.

Though Rovers are initially refusing to disclose the fee, Rochdale are understood to have been looking for around £200,000 to let Lambert go.

Rovers had originally set their sights on young Hereford striker Andy Williams, but had a £100,000 bid rejected.

Instead, they have captured a player with a proven goalscoring record and six years of Football League experience.

Lambert netted 22 times for Dale last season and has scored 28 goals in 63 starts since moving to Spotland from Stockport in 2002.

He made his league debut as a 17-year-old for Blackpool after coming up through the youth ranks at the Seasiders, then spent a year at Macclesfield before a £300,000 move to Edgeley Park.

Though he developed a reputation as a goalscoring midfielder with 18 strikes in 98 appearances for the Hatters, it was when he switched to a more advanced role with Rochdale that his ability to find the net was fully exploited.

As well as being able to find the net from open play, Lambert is a menace from set pieces and has scored plenty of his goals from free kicks around the box.

Rovers sold Agogo to Nottingham Forest on Tuesday for around £125,000 and were desperate to bolster their strikeforce ahead of the Stockport clash.

Lewis Haldane is part of the Wales Under-21 squad for tomorrow's UEFA Championship game with Turkey in Cardiff and his chances of playing on Sunday will hinge on the extent of his involvement in Cardiff.



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Geoffrey can you come and untie us now and bring your piggy bank home.
Denis Dunford, Saltford