adminLONDON. – With rain lashing Chelsea’s training ground, Frank Lampard’s team-mates had long since retreated to their palatial changing rooms, but for the tireless midfielder the hard work was only just beginning.
When Lampard called time on his glittering 21-year soccer career yesterday, the 38-year-old was typically gracious and humble about his remarkable journey. But it was notable that Lampard has no intention of sitting still and his focus has already turned to the next chapter in his football life as he prepares to move into coaching.
It was ever thus for one of England’s greatest goal-scoring midfielders, a man who rose to the top through bloody-minded determination and a relentless work ethic that ensured that, while he might not have been as naturally gifted as some of his peers, he would earn the right to compete alongside and often outshine the world’s best.
Nothing encapsulated Lampard’s commitment to honing his art more than that soggy scene at Chelsea headquarters before the 2007 FA Cup final. By then, Lampard – son of former West Ham star Frank Lampard Senior – had already eclipsed his father’s achievements by winning the Premier League twice with Chelsea- AFP.
Online Reporter