Rio Ferdinand exposes the ‘worst’ trait Chelsea legend Frank Lampard had as a child, he certainly fixed it
Frank Lampard and Rio Ferdinand were great rivals for the majority of their club careers, featuring on opposite sides of the competition between Chelsea and Manchester United. However, the duo came through the West Ham academy together as youngsters and were also teammates on the international stage with England.
Without a doubt, Frank Lampard, 47, sits on the top table when it comes to Chelsea legends.
The retired midfielder spent the bulk of his club career with the Blues, starring at Stamford Bridge between 2001 and 2014.
| Appearances | Goals | Assists | Trophies |
| 648 | 211 | 149 | 13 |
John Obi Mikel said Lampard was the best trainer he ever witnessed in his career, and it is something that so many people have highlighted about him. On top of an obvious natural ability, the goalscoring midfielder worked extremely hard to achieve major success.
On the list of Chelsea’s top 10 greatest bargains, Lampard ranks second for his £11m transfer from West Ham in 2001.
- READ MORE: Frank Lampard knew from ‘day one’ under Jose Mourinho that Chelsea could win the Premier League
Rio Ferdinand remembers Frank Lampard worked tirelessly to get faster
Retired defender Rio Ferdinand, who’s an England and Manchester United legend, played with Lampard at West Ham when they were both youngsters.
During an interview this week, Ferdinand spoke about how Lampard fixed his “worst” trait, his physicality, with constant work away from the pitch. He recalled how the midfielder would do many sprints to fix the problem, which certainly worked because it didn’t bother him in his career.
Speaking on Rio Ferdinand presents, he said: “I grew up with Frank Lampard. One of Frank Lampard’s worst traits as a kid growing up was his physicality, in terms of ability to move and shift. His first five yards were slow. He used to walk in with the spikes in his hands and do sprints most days after training…
“No one ever said in his career, in the belly of his career, that Frank Lampard was slow or a slouch or wasn’t sharp. You can build that.”
The reality is that Lampard covered every blade of grass so efficiently throughout his career. While he’s remembered for his outrageous attacking threat, Chelsea fans will recall he didn’t ignore his defensive work either.
In terms of his goalscoring prowess, it’s remarkable that he still sits inside the Premier League’s highest scorers.
| Rank | Player | Premier League appearances | Premier League goals |
| 1st | Alan Shearer | 441 | 260 |
| 2nd | Harry Kane | 316 | 213 |
| 3rd | Wayne Rooney | 491 | 208 |
| 4th | Andy Cole | 408 | 187 |
| 5th | Mohamed Salah | 298 | 186 |
| 6th | Sergio Aguero | 275 | 184 |
| 7th | Frank Lampard | 609 | 177 |
| 8th | Thierry Henry | 258 | 175 |
| 9th | Jermain Defoe | 491 | 163 |
| 10th | Robbie Fowler | 376 | 162 |
Phil Jagielka’s incredible story about Lampard is that he didn’t see him miss a shot in training after working alongside him in an England camp.
Enzo Fernandez should study Frank Lampard tapes
Chelsea midfielder Enzo Fernandez, 24, would be pretty wise to study some old Lampard footage to see how he mastered the art of scoring goals from central midfield. In fairness, we wouldn’t be surprised if he’s already done that.
The Argentine star enjoyed an outstanding 2024/25 campaign for the Blues, growing into the type of leader and player most people expect. In particular, Fernandez stood out for nine goals and 17 assists in 53 appearances across all competitions last season.
Speaking last month, Fernandez explained his ambition to score and assist more, highlighting it as an area of his game he thinks a lot about.
Similar to Lampard, Fernandez doesn’t have the same kind of athleticism as some powerhouse midfielders, but he’s got an incredible engine and hunger. We’re optimistic that he can be someone who chips in with 10-plus goals per season.
from Chelsea FC Latest News & Club Updates | The Chelsea Chronicle https://ift.tt/Ytvr4WJ
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