Lampard pledges to work hard for success at Chelsea

The new Chelsea manager their former player Frank Lampard poses for photographs with a club shirt at the start of his unveiling press conference at Stamford Bridge stadium in London, Thursday, July 4, 2019, returning to Chelsea as the club's 12th manager in 16-years under Roman Abramovich's ownership. The former Chelsea midfielder has left second-tier club Derby, where he came close to securing promotion to the Premier League in his first season in management. (AP Photo/Matt Dunham)

The new Chelsea manager their former player Frank Lampard poses for photographs with a club shirt at the start of his unveiling press conference at Stamford Bridge stadium in London, Thursday, July 4, 2019, returning to Chelsea as the club's 12th manager in 16-years under Roman Abramovich's ownership. The former Chelsea midfielder has left second-tier club Derby, where he came close to securing promotion to the Premier League in his first season in management. (AP Photo/Matt Dunham)

Published Jul 4, 2019

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New Chelsea manager Frank Lampard has said he will

work every hour possible to bring success to the club.

Lampard signed a three-year contract at Stamford Bridge on Thursday, replacing Maurizio Sarri who left after one season to join Juventus.

The club's record goalscorer was confirmed as head coach after

Chelsea agreed financial terms with Derby County, where Lampard was

in charge for one season, and said he was keen to get to work

quickly.

"I'm delighted to be here," Lampard told Chelsea's website. "The

club's been in my heart for a long time.

"But once we move beyond the emotion, what they get from me is a

young manager, a manager that's going to give everything, every hour

in the day to work hard to bring a team the fans can be proud of.

"If I can see a team that works hard, has high energy, really had

talent and the talent I know is in the squad already, then I'll be

happy."

Former midfielder Lampard spent 13 years with Chelsea, winning the

Champions League in 2012 along with several domestic honours, and is

the club's record scorer with 211 goals from 648 appearances.

He led Derby County to the Championship play-offs last year in his

debut season as a manager and his place in the club's history is

already assured, with his goals contributing to three Premier League

titles and four FA Cups.

However, the former England midfielder takes one of the most insecure

jobs in the Premier League.

The 12th manager in 16 years under the ownership of Roman Abramovich,

Lampard will be expected to restore Chelsea to the fight for the

Premier League title immediately.

After just one season at Derby, Lampard's experience is limited.

But Chelsea director Marina Granovskaia said he had already shown he

is "one of the most talented young coaches in the game".

"It gives us great pleasure to welcome Frank back to Chelsea as head

coach," she said. "Frank possesses fantastic knowledge and

understanding of the club."

"After 13 years with us as a player, where he became a club legend

and our record goalscorer, we believe this is the perfect time for

him to return and are delighted he has done so.

"We will do everything we can to ensure he has all the support

required to be a huge success."

Lampard said he would try to produce the kind of attacking football

Chelsea fans had become used to over the past years.

"I want to remain competitive help the younger players, get them into

the squad and I'll work hard to try to bring success to the club.

"It's very easy to throw out words ... but for me, I can't wait to

get working and see the team on the training ground. I want them to

play good football, I want them to move the ball quickly.

Lampard said he had taken pieces from every manager he had played

under but would be his own man.

"I don't want to be a clone of any one manager, I'll try to take on

all the information good bad, and be myself."

"My absolute desire is to be here and work hard, I think I did that

on the pitch, tried to get the best out of myself, and that's what

I'll try to do as a manager."

Former Chelsea midfielder Jody Morris and Chris Jones, who worked

with Lampard at Derby, have also joined him at Stamford Bridge, while

Petr Cech, the club's former goalkeeper, was named as the club's

technical advisor in June.

dpa

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