SAINTS’ top goalscorer is backing a new multi-million-pound centre launched today with the aim of preventing career-ending sports injuries.

Striker Rickie Lambert has thrown his support behind city experts who are on a mission to develop better injury prevention and treatment for sports players of all levels and help prevent osteoarthritis in later life.

This role taken by researchers at the University of Southampton will play a major part in the £3m Arthritis Research UK Centre for Sport, Exercise and Osteoarthritis and see them working with Southampton FC.

The Southampton arm of the centre will specifically target young footballers at risk of a common type of groin and hip pain, which can cut short careers, and potentially lead to osteoarthritis in later life.

Rickie said: “Making sure young footballers get the right treatment in their teens is massively important and will improve their chances of succeeding in the game.

“If these problems can be picked up early by automatic testing, the better for everyone. On behalf of all professional footballers I’d like to show my support for the new centre’s research.

“Hip pain is one of the most common injuries among footballers, and some players have to retire early if they don’t get the correct treatment.

“I’ve been very lucky at my club. I’ve got certain exercises I do that have helped me and improve the problems I’ve had.”

One of the main focuses will be what causes femoroacetabular impingement (FAI), an injury to the hip and groin that causes the thigh bone to rub against the socket, leading to pain in the short term and potentially osteoarthritis of the hip in the long term.

Maria Stokes, professor of musculoskeletal rehabilitation at the University of Southampton, who is leading the Southampton arm of the seven site centre, said: “More than 80 per cent of footballers have a problem which can cause hip or groin pain during their careers.

“Young footballers are at particular risk from a potentially career-ending form of injury FAI. We don’t know the cause of this problem, but over-training as the bones are developing may play a role.”

Researchers will investigate the effects of FAI in young footballers from the age of nine, taking players into the biomechanics laboratory and make precise measurements of their movements during various activities, using state-of-the-art 3D technology.

Mo Gimpel, head physiotherapist at Southampton FC, added: “We have found that players’ hip and groin pains, including FAI symptoms, can be resolved through exercise specifically developed for the individual.

“To make this treatment even more effective, we need to examine these findings in a more robust and academic way with experienced researchers to help develop the knowledge base of our profession, and improve the care of players.”