Rickie Lambert is set to make an emotional return to St Mary's at the end of the season and will once again pull on a Saints shirt.

Rickie Lambert is the first name confirmed for the Promotions XI who will take on this years squad in Kelvin Davis's testimonial game on Tuesday 17th May.

It will be a welcome return for Rickie and Saints fans will raise the roof when he runs out on the pitch again in a Saints strip.

It will probably be a bitter sweet moment for the striker who enjoyed five great seasons at the club, leading the attack as the team rose from League One to the Premier League taking in Wembley for the Johnstone's Paint Trophy along the way.

Two years ago Lambert was at the top of his game being one of the leading Premier League scorers in his two top flight years for Saints and forcing his way into the England side for the World Cup in Brazil in the summer of 2014.

But then it all went sour on the playing side for Rickie, I don't blame him for the move to Liverpool, unlike most of his team mates Rickie had not spent a decade on big money, he only truly started earning anything like mega bucks when Saints went back to the Premier League.

The move to Liverpool was a double bubble for him, firstly he got to play for his boyhood idols and secondly he got to have a big pay day to secure his financial future.

But on the field it was not a success and Liverpool tried to move Rickie in the January transfer window, barely six months after he arrived.

Last summer he went to West Bromwich Albion and this has not been a success he has started only 5 Premier League games plus 14 off the bench scoring only a solitary goal.

Now he is struggling to get on the West Bromwich Albion bench, he was an unused sub at Spurs last night and has not seen action since mid March and that was a 4 minute sub appearance.

Perhaps he will wish he had stayed at St Mary's last season when he runs out.

But Saints had his best years and he is and will always remain a legend at the Club 197(10) League appearances producing 106 goals, not to mention cup games and goal.

The biggest cheer on the night will be for Rickie Lambert, Im sure that even Kelvin Davis will not mind that.

Photo: Action Images

arthurfane added 12:05 - Apr 26 What do we think guys? How many of our VERY BEST former players will join Rickie? Would love to see Morgan, Ox, Lallana, Sharp etc. back at St Mary's. I'm only disappointed it's on a weekday night - doubt I'll be able to get up from London in time :/
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arthurfane added 12:06 - Apr 26 Can we twist 'Promotions XI' to include those who played for Saints since Premier League relegation. Would move heaven & earth to see Bale and Walcott back down here...
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SaintBrock added 12:36 - Apr 26 Great news, he's the only one of the recently departed who's welcome here in my book! If he scores Koeman might sign him on. Welcome home Rickie!
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bstokesaint added 12:42 - Apr 26 I do feel for Rickie. I totally get the fact he's not exactly short on the financial side of things, but his childhood club made him look like an idiot. He was brilliant for us. He will be a legend in our club's history. He may have got less game time for us had he stayed, but he would always have been appreciated. I hope he gets a good reception because he deserves it.

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simmo400 added 13:13 - Apr 26 Nothing but praise for RL. No one could blame him for moving to the Pool. A Saints great in every way never let us down on or off the pitch. When WBA came to St Marys his warm up at halftime prompted cheers from the fans louder than during the game. He deserved that.
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bstokesaint added 13:25 - Apr 26 Arthur, I actually think the likes of Bale and Walcott shouldn't have to be approached by the club to want to come back. The Academy made them and as the club captain they should want to give something back to Kelvin for being there during the time when they broke through into the first team. At least I think Kelvin was at the club then..
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BoondockSaint added 13:40 - Apr 26 Hope he stops by the training field and show the lot we have now how to put a properly weighted ball into the area, score a goal when you are right in front, and take a penalty properly!
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leighsaint added 18:24 - Apr 26 Brocksaint it might be better if we employed him to teach youngsters and others in the team these technics
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SaintBrock added 18:50 - Apr 26 Picking up on a few good points guys, would love to see him in a PR hosting role or even as a coach at the Club. I doubt any ex-player in with a shout of a chance of going to the Euro's will be allowed or even prepared to risk getting crocked in a kick-about at St Mary's a month before so sadly, Theo, Gareth and Alex will be non starters, same for Lallana & Clyne, even probably Bertrand & Fraser

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SaintBrock added 18:53 - Apr 26 ...and that is only the England contingent. To be honest the more you think about this the more difficult it becomes now that we have 17 players on regular international duty and only one or two of them non-European
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