Striker will be Premier hitman - Adkins

Southampton manager Nigel Adkins has backed talisman Rickie Lambert to flourish in the Premier League this season.

The striker made his top-flight debut aged 30 last weekend, having previously plied his trade in the Football League for his entire career. There were question marks over whether Lambert could make the step up, just like there had been last summer when he made his Championship debut, but he responded in some style last weekend, scoring four minutes after coming on as a second-half substitute at reigning champions Manchester City. Adkins believes his strike in the 3-2 defeat at the Etihad Stadium bodes well for the frontman, whose attributes he believes will prove effective in the Premier League. "What a super goal and I think he will grow in confidence," the Saints boss said. "He has played against some real top defenders there and physically he has dealt with that challenge ever so well. "He gives a dimension to the football team that has served us well over the last few years. Obviously the pace of the game now in the Barclays Premier League is there, but he has got a quick brain."