Former Chelsea and England midfielder
Frank Lampard on Thursday announced
his retirement after more than two
decades in football.
Lampard, 38, made his debut 1995 at
West Ham and spent most of his playing
career at Chelsea, 2001-2014, finishing
as their record goalscorer with 211 goals.
In his time at Stamford Bridge, Lampard
won the 2012 Champions League, 2013
Europa League, three Premier Leagues
and four FA Cups with the Blues. He
earned 106 England caps between 1999
and 2014.
The midfielder last played at New York
City in Major League Soccer where his
contract expired after the 2016 season,
having also featured for Manchester City
in the last chapter of his career.
“After 21 incredible years, I have
decided that now is the right time to
finish my career as a professional
footballer,” Lampard said on
Facebook.
“Whilst I have received a number of
exciting offers to continue playing at
home and abroad, at 38 I feel now is
the time to begin the next chapter in
my life. I’m immensely proud of the
trophies I’ve won, of representing my
country over 100 times and of scoring
more than 300 career goals.”
Lampard, one of just three players to
score both 100 goals or more and have
more than 100 assists in the Premier
League, said he owed a debt of gratitude
to all the clubs he played for.
But he saved the biggest thanks for
Chelsea, where he played the bulk of his
career.
“Chelsea fans gave myself and my
team-mates such incredible support,”
he said. “Their passion and hunger
drove me on personally to give my
best year after year. I couldn’t have
done it without them.”
One of the very best “box-to-box”
midfielders of his generation, Lampard
made a habit of arriving late and
slamming in goals from outside the area,
his tally of 41 goals from outside the box
more than anyone in Premier League
history.
Lampard said it was hard to pin down
his favourite goals.
“I scored two on the day against
Bolton when we won the league in
2005, I couldn’t choose one over the
other,’ he told Chelsea’s website.
“They were both special because they
brought the title to Chelsea after 50
years of not winning it. It meant a lot
not just to me personally but to the
club as a whole.
“After that at Chelsea the goal that
broke the goalscoring record at Aston
Villa.
“It put me ahead of Bobby Tambling
who had held the record for many
years, so that was a huge emotional
moment for me personally. The away
fans were fantastic that day, it was a
really special moment.”
Lampard hinted that he may now move
into coaching.
“I’m grateful to the FA for the
opportunity to study for my coaching
qualifications and I look forward to
pursuing the off-field opportunities
that this decision opens,” he said.
(dpa/NAN)
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Ex-Chelsea Star,Frank Lampard Retires From Football
Description : Former Chelsea and England midfielder Frank Lampard on Thursday announced his retirement after more than two decades in football. Lampar...
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