Paul Lambert

For other people named Paul Lambert, see Paul Lambert (disambiguation).

Paul Lambert

Personal information
Height	1.80 m (5 ft 11 in)
Position(s)	Midfielder
Team information
Current team	Norwich City (manager)

Paul Lambert (born 7 August 1969) is a Scottish football manager and former player who is manager of Norwich City. He achieved great success as a player, winning the Scottish Cup with St. Mirren as a 17 year old, the Champions League with Borussia Dortmund, all the Scottish domestic honours with Celtic and 40 caps for Scotland.

Playing career

Lambert started his playing career at Linwood Rangers Boys' Club in 1980, before entering the professional game with St. Mirren in 1985. As a 17 year old in 1987 with St Mirren, Lambert won his first Scottish Cup winner's medal. He played there for eight years before transferring to Motherwell in 1993.

In 1996, Lambert transferred to the German Bundesliga side Borussia Dortmund. He was well liked by the fans in Germany, and he contributed to the team's success in winning the 1997 UEFA Champions League: in the final against Juventus in Munich on 28 May 1997, he played superbly in midfield to help quell the influence of Juve's French playmaker Zinedine Zidane as Dortmund won 3–1. Lambert also provided the assist for Karl-Heinz Riedle's opening goal. He became the first British player to win the European Cup with a non UK team, and the first British player to win the Champions League since its inception.

In November 1997, after just over a year playing in the Bundesliga, he was signed by Celtic for a fee in the region of £2,000,000. During his time with Celtic, he won four SPL titles, two Scottish Cups, two CIS Insurance Cups and was captain of the side that reached the 2003 UEFA Cup Final in Seville.

He was also a Scotland international, winning 40 caps and scoring one goal, and played in the 1998 World Cup, turning in an especially impressive performance as the Scots lost 2–1 to Brazil at the Stade de France in the tournament's opening match.

Managerial career

After studying for football coaching qualifications in 2005, Lambert landed his first managerial job with Livingston on 1 June 2005. Lambert studied for his UEFA coaching credentials in Germany, one of very few non-Germans to have been given dispensation to do so. Although he had not intended to play for his new club Lambert registered as a player in late August 2005 to cover for any injury shortages. His tenure ended the following February when he resigned after only winning two league games since starting the job.

Lambert was appointed manager of English-team Wycombe Wanderers on 30 June 2006. He led Wycombe to the League Cup semi-finals after defeating Premier League sides Fulham and Charlton Athletic. The semi-final tie, against then Premier League champions Chelsea, saw Wycombe hold Chelsea to a 1–1 draw at Adams Park before losing the away leg. This was the first time in over 30 years a fourth tier team had reached that stage of the League Cup. Lambert resigned as Wycombe manager on 20 May 2008 following the club's elimination from the League Two play-offs by Stockport County.

On 9 October, he was appointed as manager of Colchester United. to succeed Geraint Williams, before winning his first game 2-1 at Stockport County.

On 18 August 2009, he became the new Norwich City manager, replacing Bryan Gunn, who was sacked by the club shortly after an opening-day 7-1 defeat to Colchester, managed by Lambert.

Honours

• Scottish Premier League winner 1997–98, 2000–01, 2001–02, 2003–04
• Scottish Cup winner 1986–87, 2000–01, 2003–04, 2004–05, Runner-up 2001–02
• Scottish League Cup winner 1997–98, 1999–00, 2000–01, 2005–06, Runner-up 2002–03
• UEFA Cup Runner-up 2002-03
• UEFA Champions League Winner 1996-97

Managerial statistics

As of 18th August 2009.

Team	Nat	From	To	Record
				G	W	L	D	Win %
Livingston		1 June 2005	12 February 2006	32	5	20	7	15.63
Wycombe Wanderers		30 June 2006	20 May 2008	108	44	35	29	40.74
Colchester United		9 October 2008	17 August 2009	43	19	17	7	44.19
Norwich City		18 August 2009	Present.	0	0	0	0	0
Total				183	68	72	43	37.16

External links

• Paul Lambert at Soccerbase
• Paul Lambert management career statistics at Soccerbase