It is normal for a player who has spent their entire career playing in the Premier League to want to stay there for as long as possible, but when Frank Lampard left Chelsea after 13 successful years he really should have chosen a different league to continue his football.
At the very least he should have joined a small, struggling club like Rio Ferdinand did but under no circumstances do you move to a rival.
Lampard had some free time between leaving Chelsea and the start of America’s MLS season. The midfielder had a contract to join up with New York City FC whose parent-club just so happened to be the Blues top four rivals Manchester City so Lampard secured a deal to play for the Northern club and has been doing so for the past nine months.
When he joined City they were the current Premier League holders and were hopeful of retaining their title but Lampard’s old team Chelsea quickly ran away with that honour, meaning that the 36-year-old has returned to English football for nothing.
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City have failed to progress in all four of the tournaments they were playing in, not even making a mark in the Cup competitions. Their form in the Champions League was particularly disappointing, as it was for all of the English teams, so Lampard risked his Chelsea legacy for a fruitless season.
It must have been very strange for Chelsea fans who have loved Lampard for so long to see him in City’s lighter blue shirt and scoring against them.
Just imagine if the Sky Blues had retained their title with Chelsea a close second.
Footballers should of course be allowed to play for whichever team they choose but when you become part of a clubs history like Lampard did, then loyalty has to play a role. Just look at Steven Gerrard. Liverpool failed to renew his contract and yet he doesn’t hold it against them and has sworn to never play for another Premier League side. That is what supporters want from their heroes.
And it’s not just Chelsea supporters Lampard has upset by playing for City this season. Lampard was supposed to stay with the Sky Blues for just six months, which would have made him available for New York City FC’s start of the MLS season, but the midfielder's impressive displays back in Manchester led City to extend his contract.
Understandably many of his new supporters had brought season tickets expecting to see a world-class player but have been blown out by him instead. Not the best way to endear fans as it happens.
The Premier League is one of, if not the, best league in the world and I understand that being offered the chance to play in it for another year was just too good for Lampard to turn down. But the bigger picture is that he has upset many people and messed with his legacy.
Lampard wasn’t at Chelsea for as long as Gerrard was at Liverpool but Blues supporters treated him just as well. But now I can’t see Chelsea supporters in five or ten years holding Lampard up in quite the same regard as Stevie G will be held up on Merseyside.
And Frank only has himself to blame for that.
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