Frank Lampard is one of England’s all-time great defenders and on the 24th May 2015 he played his last game in the Premier League.
His departure has been somewhat overshadowed by his fellow England star, Steven Gerrard, but he is by no means less of a player. In his 13 years at Chelsea he scored over 200 goals for the club and won the Champions League, League Cup, Premier League and FA Cup.
It’s hard to pick out his best moments as there has been so many, but here are five which we think sum of the brilliance that is Frank Lampard...
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Winning Chelsea Player of the Year in 2004
Frank Lampard moved to Chelsea from West Ham in 2001 and after a poor first season fans were not impressed.
By the 2003-04 he had come on leaps and bounds with the Blues finishing second in the Premier League and reaching the semi-finals of the Champions League.
He scored 15 goals in all competitions that season and at the end of season awards he was voted Chelsea’s Player of the Year for the first time.
Being made Footballer of the Year in 2005
Lampard was awarded the PFA player of the year and the Football Writers’ Association Award his key contribution to Chelsea’s Premier League title success.
It was his best season to date with the Blues and he scored 19 goals as well as getting over 10 assists for his teammates. The season was the real start of a special relationship with the Stamford Bridge faithful.
Becoming Chelsea's all-time record goal scorer
In 2013 Lampard became the second Chelsea player ever to score 200 goals for the club. By the end of the season he over took Bobby Tambling’s all-time club goalscoring record to become the best ever goalscorer in the club’s history.
Over his time with the Blues he averaged a goal every three games with his style, long strikes from outside the box and leaving the goalkeepers with no chance.
Winning the Champions League in 2012
Nobody thought Chelsea could win the Champions League that season, but they defied all odds.
Bayern Munich had the huge advantage of playing at their home ground and the Blues had four key players out suspended.
Lampard was given the captain’s armband and despite being on the back foot for most of the game, they managed to beat the German side on penalties.
After years of trying he finally got his hand on the trophy.
Scoring for Man City in his final Premier League game
With Chelsea lifting this season’s trophy one of their all-time greats was walking out as captain of Manchester City.
To mark his final Premier League match, Manuel Pellegrini gave him the captain’s armband and he didn’t disappoint. The 36-year-old scored his final and 177th Premier League goal, and now heads off to America to join New York City in the MLS.