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MIAMI -- Preparing for his first trip to the World Cup, Rickie Lambert epitomizes the player who never gave up on his dream. Calling him an England striker would have been unthinkable before the last World Cup four years ago when he had just completed another season in the third tier of English football. But the 32-year-old Lambert is now in Miami as part of the 23-man squad heading to Brazil, and is getting ready to represent his country on the sports biggest stage. Enriching the fairytale aspect, Lambert on Monday completed his move from Southampton back to Premier League giant Liverpool, the club he supported as a boy but that discarded him as a player when he was 15. Out of football, Lambert found work in a beetroot factory, earning just 20 pounds a day. "It was absolutely devastating," Lambert recalled Monday. "I can remember at the time thinking I wasnt going to be a footballer -- Id been dropped from Liverpool and it was the end of the world for me. I was so devastated. "At the time, I thought nothing was ever going to feel worse than that, but I can tell people now life goes on and you shouldnt let it hit you too much ... but I never thought Id manage to get back." Following the pain of being rejected, Lambert forced his way through the lower leagues of English football, away from the glamor and riches of the Premier League, playing at Macclesfield, Stockport, Rochdale and Bristol Rovers before ending up at Southampton in 2009. On the south coast, Lambert established himself as a prolific scorer, helping power Southampton from the third tier to the Premier League and an eighth-place finish last month. By that point England coach Roy Hodgson had taken note, calling Lambert up for international duty for the first time last August. It was a dream debut at the age of 31, scoring the winning goal in a friendly against archrival Scotland with his first touch at Wembley Stadium. "Its an unfortunate truth if you want to get recognized at the top level you have to be playing at the top level," Hodgson said recently. Lambert is likely to see limited playing time at the World Cup, where Wayne Rooney and Daniel Sturridge are expected to be the first-choice strikers. But he is likely to earn a fifth cap against Ecuador on Wednesday at the Sun Life Stadium in Miami Gardens, but England could be relying on him for penalties in Brazil, having scored all 34 spot kicks for Southampton and only missing two in his career. "Im living a dream," Lambert said. "There is a buzz about the group at the moment and there is a lot of confidence." Whatever happens at the World Cup, Lambert is likely to make his debut soon in club footballs biggest competition, the Champions League, after completing his 4-million pound ($6.7 million) move to Liverpool. "Its going to be hard to keep my emotions in check the first time I pull on the Liverpool shirt," Lambert said on Liverpools website. "Its going to be very emotional, not just for me but also for my family. These kind of moments are driving me on. When I get these moments, I seem to produce my best performances and Im able to use it to my advantage." Lambert will provide competition up front for Luis Suarez and Daniel Sturridge, with Liverpool needing more strikers in its squad after qualifying for the Champions League for the first time in five years. "There isnt much sentiment in football and I dont think this move is anything to do with that," Lambert said. "Ive loved this club all my life. I left here 17 years ago -- and I havent stopped loving it since." Under Armour Clearance Sale Canada . Or at least on everyone elses expectations. Costa Rica followed up its surprise win over Uruguay with another World Cup stunner on Friday, beating four-time champion Italy 1-0 to secure a spot in the next round and eliminate England in the process. Under Armour Wholesale Canada . Nwaneri, who was born in Dallas and attended Naaman Forest High School in nearby Garland, Texas, tweeted, "Its official! Im coming home, Im coming home. http://www.underarmouroutletcanada.com/ ." Also, defencemen "were found to be at a higher risk of suffering a concussion than other players, perhaps due to turning their back to retrieve pucks along the boards, which leaves them vulnerable. Under Armour Shoes Canada Sale . CBS Sports Jon Heyman is reporting that Santana will sign a one-year deal, likely in the next two days with one of a trio of suitors, with the Toronto Blue Jays believed to be heavily involved. Under Armour Shoes Clearance Sale . The biggest shock of this seasons competition was on when Watford took a 2-0 lead after 30 minutes at Etihad Stadium, only for a remarkable Aguero-led comeback by City in the final half-hour. The Argentina striker produced clinical finishes in the 60th and 79th minutes to level the score before Aleksandar Kolarov put City in front in the 87th.MADRID - Real Madrid forward Cristiano Ronaldo has been banned for three Spanish league games for receiving a red card and then making a mocking gesture toward the match officials in a game at Athletic Bilbao. The Portugal forward was shown a straight red for swiping his hand across the face of Bilbaos Carlos Gurpegis following a shove from his opponent in Sundays 1-1 league draw. TThe leagues disciplinary committee handed Ronaldo a one-game ban for the red card and two more games for his mocking gesture as he left the field.dddddddddddd Ronaldo will miss league games against Villarreal, Getafe, and Elche. Ronaldo, however, is available to play in the Copa del Rey semifinal against Atletico Madrid, with the first leg being played on Wednesday. ' ' '