About twelve seasons ago, he was just another average, scrawny midfielder who had made his way from the tirades he received at West Ham to a new home at Stamford Bridge. Not many people bolstered this move as they wrote him off as nothing more than any other midfielder who had failed to make his mark on the footballing world. Little did they know that he was a legend in the making. A player, who would eventually become the heart and soul of Chelsea for the years to come.
With a mammoth total of 543 appearances in the Premier League, the fourth highest tally for any player in the League, Lampard is obviously one with tons of experience that is second to none. The 157 times he has slotted past the teams in the Premier League is no laughing matter as it turns out to be the fifth most of all time for any player in the League. No one has come close to matching the nine consecutive seasons where he scored at least ten goals for the team. Someone, who Jose Mourinho considered the best midfielder in all of England. Someone, who came second only to Ronaldinho as the FIFA World Player of the year in 2005. All in all, a brilliant midfielder and playmaker. But now, a player who unfortunately isn’t a recipient of the respect he deserves from the club he served for twelve seasons. As his agent confirmed earlier this week, Frank Lampard would be leaving the club at the end of the season though he agreed to take quite a paycut to stay at Chelsea. However, not even Lampard stood a chance against Abramovich’s ruthless nature.
With Lampard being forced to leave the club, many a club realize the importance of such a player and the line up to sign him. According to the sources, Manchester United and Juventus are hot in pursuit of the playmaker in order to strengthen their midfield. Without a shadow of a doubt, any team, especially these two, could do with the inclusion of a player of this quality in their lineup. He is, to me, an indisputable cornerstone of the Chelsea glory years. It is but sad to see the number 8 bow out in a way like this, but that’s the bitter reality of the footballing world as it paves the way for another generation of players who would carry the team forward. This begs the question: Where will Frank go? Only time will tell.