Frank Lampard
Frank James Lampard, Jr., (born 20 June 1978) is an English football player currently at Chelsea and previously with West Ham United and Swansea City.
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[edit]- Lampard's better than Gerrard and Scholes. No questions asked.
- I do play with minor knocks at times. I'm not saying I'm a Braveheart compared to others, but I do just get on with it. And I do a lot of extra work, not so much gym work, I won't go in and pump iron, but I do like to do as much as I can on the training pitch. I'll practise my finishing, my passing, my dribbling and my sprints. Maybe that all contributes to that bit of luck I have staying fit. It's something my old man (his father, Frank Sr, formerly of West Ham and England) has instilled in me since I was a kid. Now, if I don't do that bit extra, I don't go into a game feeling I've prepared right.
- [[1]]
Sincerely yours, Frank (May 22, 2005)
[edit]A transcript of Frank Lampard's speech to the Footballer of the Year Awards dinner, from The Observer [[2]]
- I was told I had to do a speech, to say a few thank yous and was lying in bed a couple of nights ago till about 2:30 in the morning thinking what I was going to say. I had it all planned out perfectly, fell asleep - and then was woken up at 4am when my cars were being driven off in the driveway!
- This award is voted for by journalists, who can be your biggest critic and get on your nerves sometimes, but they all know football and I am very respectful of their thoughts, and very proud they have decided to give me this award this year.
- I would not be the player I am today without him, I would not have improved without my dad. In the early years, he would have me over the park training when everyone else was at home or playing with their mates, I was jumping on the floor, getting up and running again, sprinting - I will never forget that. I thank him for everything he has done in my football life and for being a dad.
- A lot of the reason I am here is because of my strength, my determination and character. I would just like to talk about a girl called Lucy.
I went to her funeral today, she was 10 years old. She came to the game against Charlton where we lifted the Premiership trophy. She had a tumor on the brain - really she should have died the week before that game. But she was so desperate to come and see that game, to watch us play. The character and strength she showed made me put everything in perspective.
I would like to dedicate this whole award to her, her family, especially her mother, and I would like to say thanks to everyone tonight.
About Frank Lampard
[edit]- Lamps is Lamps. When he plays well he is best in the game, when he plays bad, he is the second or the third best.
- What a player. What a man. What an absolute diamond of a footballer. The critics, the haters, they cannot touch Frank Lampard now. Not after last night. Not after that penalty. He won, they lost. He stood tall, they skulked in the background.
- Martin Samuel, writing in The Times on May 1, 2008. [[4]]
- If you'd asked me seven or eight years ago I would have said I wasn't Frank Lampard's biggest fan. But his all-round game has improved massively. He's had to work at his game. I don't think he's been naturally the most gifted player in the world. From what I hear he's a good one to practise and he's improved to be one of the best midfielders in the world. Credit to him for that. He's more of an all-round package now than he was at West Ham when he was probably carrying too much weight, not that he was fat. His goals record is unbelievable, just like Steven Gerrard and Paul Scholes. We see a lot of players who come on the scene and just fade away. But he seems as hungry as ever and plays lots of games. He looks after his body. He's a fit lad and when you've got a midfielder who can put the ball in the back of the net it's bloody priceless. When you look at him and Gerrard, by God, Fabio Capello's a lucky man to have two such outstanding players. The hallmark of a top player is not to do it over two years but over eight or nine.
