NATIONAL COLLEGE SPIRU HARET TARGU-JIU

Profile: Philology

Section: Intensive English

Course: British and American Culture and Civilisation

FRANK LAMPARD

The Both Sides Of Fame

ARGUMENT

The world has been conquered by football phenomenon. The world has been overwhelmed by its marketing power , too. But the most interesting things that football brought into the spotlight are its pawns the football players.

Nowadays, it is more natural to talk about one players performances than to discuss the trophies that one team has won. Football makes the player famous, but just one player does not make football legendary. There are football players whose names are uttered just in the field. They are known just as football players.

But there are some big football names widened the football view, have made it become a kind of interest also for those who do not see in football a way of relaxing. In my opinion, those who watch football games do also watch the football players and become interested in their out of field life,too. That means for me, the enlarged football area and one football players celebrity.For instance, Frank Lampard is one of the most famous football players in the world. He is said to be an interesting star not only for his career, but also for his public life. Football made him known all around the world, but he wanted more than what football could offer him. Or could we blame the circumstances for his so well - paid image?

Many persons asked me why I chose Frank Lampard to write about. Well, I had been wondering myself for so many times why a football players name is so uttered in many others situations besides the sport ones. Searching, I have found two unique and interesting postures of the same person. On writing, I wanted to understand why some of us lionize him and others criticize him. I finally wanted to understand him from outside and inside.

CHAPTER I

Life of Frank Lampard

Frank James Lampard, Jr. was born on the 20th of June 1978 in the town of Romford

in the London borough of Havering. He is a midfielder who currently plays for Chelsea in the English Premiership.

Lampard comes from an extremely distinguished footballing family. His father Frank Lampard Sr. was a left back who played for West Ham United. His cousin is 'Spice boy' Jamie Redknapp, who played for Liverpool and Tottenham Hotspur amongst other clubs. His uncle is Jamie's father Harry, who currently manages Portsmouth F.C.

Lampard went to the Brentford school in Essex, the same school former Milwall striker Neil Harris and model Jodie Marsh attended. He joined West Ham as a part of the East London club's revered youth system in July 1994. About a year later, he signed his first professional contract. Welsh club Swansea City, who were then playing in Divison 2, took him on loan in October 1995. His first senior goal came for the Swans against Brighton and Hove Albion. After his return in January 1996, he was a regular in the youth team of the Hammers and was captain of the squad which reached the FA Youth Cup finals that year.

His first goal for West Ham came against Barnsley in the 1997-98 season. The following season saw him establish his place in the West Ham starting 11 and in that season he did not miss a single game as the Hammers finished 5th. It was the first glimpse of the now very well known fitness of the man. Along with Joe Cole, Michael Carrick and Rio Ferdinand, Lampard formed a formidable quartet which was hailed as the future of English football. He made his senior debut against Belgium in a friendly in October 1999, and played for 76 minutes before being substituted for Dennis Wise. He also scored 9 times in his U-21 career. Only Alan Shearer and Francis Jeffers have scored more times for the English U-21 side.

When his father, uncle and close friend Rio Ferdinand all left Upton Park in quick succession, Lampard decided it was time to move on. He moved to Stamford Bridge, with Chelsea signing him for 11 million. Lampard's first goal for his new club came in a pre season friendly against Northampton Town and soon after he made his Premiership debut against Newcastle United.

He was sent off in the game against bitter rivals Tottenham, which to date still remains his only dismissal in the Premiership. October 13, 2001 marked the starting of a new record in English football as Lampard went on to play 164 games non stop for the Blues. His first two seasons at the club did not reveal all what he was capable of, and he was often overshadowed by Gianfranco Zola.
The arrival of Roman Abramovich heralded a new beginning for Lampard, and there has been no looking back from then. He has grown into one of the Premiership's most feared midfielders. His pinpoint passing and shooting abilities from the edge of the box are his exceptional strengths, and he is one man who is turned to when set pieces and penalties have to be taken.

The 2004-2005 season was one of the most successful ones in the history of Chelsea and Lampard played a stellar role, bagging 19 Premiership goals. He also scored 4 as Chelsea reached the last four of the Champions' League and also helped the Blues to win the league Cup.

He was not selected for Euro 2000 and missed the flight to Korea and Japan for the 2002 World Cup. His first international goal for the Three Lions came against Croatia in 2003 and he has gone on to win more than 50 caps for England. He currently wears the No.8 jersey which Paul Scholes vacated after his retirement. Lampard has often been accused of not being able to perform as well at the national level as he does at club level. Many view that he and Steven Gerrard are similar players, and that there is room for only one of them in the squad. But there is no doubt that the man puts in nothing less than 100% when on the pitch.

Lampard is regarded as one of England's finest players of this generation. He came second behind Brazilian playmaker Ronaldinho in the poll for the European Footballer of the Year (2005) and FIFA world player of the Year (2005). He won the Football Writers' Association player of the year award in 2005. He was also part of UEFA's all star Euro 2004 squad. He has been described by his manager, the charismatic Jose Mourinho, as the 'best player in the world''.

He is currently engaged to Elen Rives, who gave birth to the couple's first child, a girl named Luna Coco Patricia on 22nd August . Elen gave birth to the couple's second child, another girl, named Isla, on the 20th May

He recently revealed that he and Elen plan on getting married this year. He is learning Spanish, which has been the partial cause of speculation linking him with a move to the La Liga, until he revealed it was strictly for family reasons, as his partner is Spanish and he wants their daughters to grow up bilingual. Lampard featured in a 'Super Goals' advertising campaign for The Sun newspaper in England during Sep/Oct 2005.

In July 2006, The Sun newspaper serialized his autobiography book Totally Frank, uncovering the secrets of his personal life and his reactions of the disappointing World Cup

He attended the independent, 11,565 a year, Brentwood School in Essex, at which time he was in the same year as model Jodie Marsh and gained an A in his Latin GCSE.

Lampard has matured since 2000 when he was caught up in an alleged sex-tape scandal with Rio Ferdinand and Kieron Dyer in the resort of Ayia Napa in Cyprus. He currently owns an Aston Martin DB9 and a Ferrari 612 Scaglietti. He currently owns two dogs - both are French mastiffs, named Daphne and Rocco. Politically, Lampard has declared his support for the Conservative Party

A life in the Day: Frank Lampard

The Chelsea and England footballer, 27, lives in Chelsea with his Spanish fiance, Elen, also 27, their baby daughter, Luna, and their French mastiff, Daphne.

'The alarm on my mobile is set for 8, but with the baby I'm often already awake. At the moment we've got a maternity nurse helping Elen, but once she goes, I'm sure things will get a lot earlier, a lot more hectic. Right now I've got about three-quarters of an hour before I leave for training. I don't bother showering. I just freshen up, stick on jeans and trainers, let the dog out and get her food. Daphne's a French mastiff like the one in that movie Turner & Hooch. She slobbers a bit, but she's got a beautiful face.

Breakfast is usually a mug of strong English-breakfast tea and a bowl of Coco Pops. If I get bored, the Frosties come out. But I always go back to Coco Pops I've been having them since I was a kid. We get The Sun, Mirror and Daily Mail delivered, so I usually have a quick flick through and then set off in the car a blue Aston Martin for the training ground in Cobham.

I'll turn on the radio or listen to music. I like U2 and Coldplay, but James Blunt's single You're Beautiful has really stuck in my head of late. Being in the middle of a season, the sessions aren't too heavy. There are days when it's harder to motivate yourself you're tired or have things on your mind, but on the whole I enjoy it. I'm a bit of fitness fanatic, anyway. I got that from my father. He played for West Ham.
I wanted to be a footballer for as long as I can remember. It was all I thought about. But right from the start, Dad drummed it into me that as well as practice you had to be fit. So from quite a young age I'd go off with him on his two- or three-mile runs around Romford, Essex, where we lived. It paid off. By 13, I was good enough to train with two or three different professional clubs after school.

I was a day pupil at a private school in Brentwood and I was determined to do well there too. I got nine O-levels, including two As and an A-star, and my teachers wanted me to go on and do A-levels. But if I was going to make a real go of the football, I knew I couldn't. Sometimes I think that if I hadn't made it as a footballer, I'd quite like to have been a lawyer.

Training lasts about an hour and a half, then it's in the shower and lunch.
I eat at the grounds, where they do things like pastas, salads, meat, chicken and fish. There's not much I don't like when it comes to food, and there aren't too many rules about what we should and shouldn't eat. But obviously, for extra energy, I tend to load up with more carbs a couple of days before a game. After lunch I try to keep my days clear, so I can head back home to Elen and the baby. But I do a bit of charity work and I'm currently involved in the Tesco Sport for Schools & Clubs scheme, which is aimed at inspiring kids to take up a sport.

Luna's still only two months old, but I've already bought her first Chelsea outfit. I even got her a shirt with No 8 on the back the full works. When I got it I didn't show Elen, I just rushed upstairs and put it on Luna. When I came down and Elen saw her, she said: 'She's not going out of the house dressed like that!' I love singing nursery rhymes to Luna. The only thing is, I can't remember most of the words, so I have to make them up.

In the afternoon, Mum often pops round for a cup of tea. She and Dad have bought a place in London, which is great, and also means they're at all the games. I'm very close to Mum a real mummy's boy, to be honest. We're very similar. Quite sensitive, quite shy. Whereas Dad's been the big influence on my career, Mum's been the one who shaped me as a person: you know, how to treat people, manners, that kind of thing. These days she juggles a lot of her time between me and my two older sisters, as they've also got little girls.

I'll usually take Daphne out for a walk or a run. Or sometimes I'll go out shopping. Occasionally I'll have a blast. The other day I bought a couple of lovely Yves Saint Laurent suits in Sloane Street, and this belt is from Dolce & Gabbana. I'm not really into buying the latest gadgets, but I do appreciate something like a good watch. The one I'm wearing is an Audemars Piguet a limited-edition Montoya. Sometimes we'll all drive out to a country village, maybe go looking for antiques I love old furniture. We've only been in our house about six months, so we're still looking for things. One of my favourite pieces is a study table from eastern Europe.
Elen and I go out for a meal a couple of times a week, but we eat in the rest of the time. I've got a thing for M&S's chicken in breadcrumbs at the minute. So it'll be something like that with jacket potato and salad. Elen mainly does the cooking, but occasionally I'll throw a few bits together maybe a pasta with tomato, chilli and garlic.

Normally it comes out okay not always. Then we might relax in front of the telly. I love things like The Sopranos and I confess to getting addicted to things like Big Brother and The X Factor. But if it's something like Question Time, I just end up shouting at the box.Before bed I'll let the dog out, do the lights, the alarm and then I might read for a while. I recently finished The Da Vinci Code, and Roy Keane's autobiography, which was a great insight into the footballer. Sometimes, when I think about all those dreams I had as a kid and where I am now, I have to pinch myself. The hard work, the determination, the sacrifices they all paid off. Life right now couldn't be sweeter.'

CHAPTER II. EARLY CAREER

2.1. Man Ham United

Frank joined West Ham United as an apprentice on 1st July 1994, signing his professional forms in 1995. During the 1995/96 season, he was loaned out to Division 2 team Swansea City(October 1995 to January 1996). He made his league debut on 7th October 1995, in a match against Bradford City, which Swansea won 2-0. He went on to make a total of 8 full league appearances for the Swans (7 full, 1 sub, 1 goal) and another two other appearances in cup competitions (1 full, 1 sub).

After coming back off loan, it was not too long before Frank made his Premiership debut in the Claret and Blue of West Ham United. That was in the match against Coventry City on 31st January 1996, but he was used very sparingly over the rest of the season. However, the 1996/97 season saw Frank make a more extended run in the side, but his season was ended prematurely when, playing against Aston Villa, he cracked a bone in his right leg. His first goal came at the beginning of the 1997/98 season against Barnsley (away). Coming on as a second half substitute, Frank scored in what turned out to be a 2-0 win for the Hammers

As Frank established himself in the West Ham first team, he was spotted by Peter Taylor and included in the England U21 squad. He ended up captaining the team on a regular basis. His last game was against Slovakia on 1st June 2000, as part of the U21 squad that reached the finals of the European Championship. Unfortunately, they went out at the first stage. In total Frank has 19 appearances in the U21 team to his credit.

In total Frank made a total of 163 appearances (including those as a substitute) for West Ham United (League, Fa Cup,League Cup and UEFA Cup), scoring 35 goals.

West Ham United

Lampard joined West Ham United, where his father was Assistant Manager, as an apprentice in July 1994 as part of their Youth System, and signed his professional forms on July 1, 1995.

In October 1995, he was loaned to Division Two team Swansea City. He made his league debut in the colours of Swansea City on 7 October, 1995 in a match against Bradford City that Swansea won 2-0. He made a total nine league appearances for Swansea, and another two in Cup competitions, scoring one goal,his first in senior football against Brighton & Hove Albion, before returning to West Ham in January, 1996. Even having a short spell at Swansea, Frank Lampard is still an avid Swansea City fan, and would always check up on how they were doing.

Lampard's debut for West Ham came on January 31, 1996 against Coventry City F.C., but he did not become a team regular that season. He then broke his right leg in a game against Aston Villa on March 15, 1997, which ended his season.
Lampard's first goal for West Ham came in the 1997-98 season, in an away win against Barnsley. Lampard was a regular in the West Ham youth team and captained his side to the final of the FA Youth Cup in 1996.

The 1998-99 season was a prolific one for young Lampard. He became a regular in the West Ham first team, not missing a single game throughout the season as the club finished fifth in the Premiership standings.

Lampard had formed the core of a talented young West Ham team along with players like Joe Cole, Michael Carrick and Rio Ferdinand. But after Ferdinand, a close friend of Lampard's, was sold to Leeds United in the 2000-01 season, and his father, and uncle Harry Redknapp left West Ham, Frank decided to leave as well. Despite reported interest from Aston Villa, Lampard chose to remain in London by joining Chelsea for a fee in the region of 11m.

2.2. Playing for England

As Frank was establishing himself in the West Ham first team, he was spotted by then England U21 manager Peter Taylor. Frank made his U21 debut on 13th November 1997 in Crete against Greece. He went on to captain the team on a regular basis and made a total of 19 appearances at the level, scoring a total of 7 goals. His final appearance was in the European U21 championships in Bratislava against Slovakia (1st June 2000).

During his U21 career Frank did make one appearance for the full England team. This was in a friendly match against Belgium at Sunderland's Stadium of Light, on October 10th 1999.

Despite having had a successful spell in the U21 team Frank has yet to be given a regualr start for the full squad. During 2001/2002, he was only used for friendlies and despite having a good season for Chelsea he was omitted from the team which went to the World Cup Finals. A bitter blow for Frank but one which he has used to his advantage.

Frank began the 2002/03 domestic season showing that the he was good enough to contend for an England place. However in the first squad of the season, for the friendly against Portugal at Villa Park in the September he was left out. Again he continued to do his best for Chelsea and hoped that the England coach was taking note. After a number of superb performances for club, Frank was again chosen for the England squad.

After an excellent season for Chelsea Frank was chosen as a squad member for the 3 matches which were to take place at the end of the 2002/03 season. These consisted of 2 friendlies and a Euro 2004 qualifier. The squad travelled out to South Africa for a match against South Africa. Frank didn't start the match but he came on as a second half substitute and made an immediate impact, in trying to score himself, the shot rebounded and fell to Emile Heskey who immediately scored for England. Frank's half hour on the pitch turned a game and it bode well for the other matches.

June saw two crucial matches and Frank was picked to start against Serbia & Montengro, however he played in a unfamiliar role on the left side of midfield BUT he had an excellent game, lasting 60 minutes before beinmg substituted - his longest stint on the pitch for Ericksson. Contributing much in 60 minutes he was in the frame for the Euro 2004 Qualifier against Slovakia, even if it was as a substitute, his performance meritted some reward.

Frank finally made his competitive debut on 11th June 2003. He played the entire match and was superb, he had finally been given the chance to show what he could do and he took his opportunity. Two shots went wide but he was on the line on 68 minutes to tap in his first England goal - which was disallowed for offside, a decision which is still baffling as he was clearly onside. His debut goal on a debut competitive performance ruled out but Frank's profile was raised. Press reports the following day were favourable and finally Frank got the recognition he deserved. Can Sven now keep him on the bench for future competitive matches? I think not and with Euro 2004 looming Frank has made a clear case for being kept in as a vital member of the squad.

The 2003/04 season was the season that saw Frank becoming an integral member of the England team and his club form ensured that he was one of the players chosen to represent England in Euro 2004. Of course debate raged about whether Frank was to start instead of Nicky Butt. The FA's Summer Tournament at the City of Manchester Stadium was an ideal opportunity for Frank to show that he was indeed good enough to be selected ahead of Nicky Butt. Frank had a superb game against Iceland, scoring a wonderful goal and ensuring that Sven had to pick him to start against France in Lisbon.

Frank made his mark on Euro 2004 scoring England's only goal against France and then going on to score against Portugal. His industrious work rate showed that he had come of age as a player and earned him a place in UEFA's team of the championships.

Frank is now an established member of the England squad and like Chelsea he wears the number 8 shirt.  Qualifying for the World Cup was not as easy as some would have you believe with a below par performance against Northern Ireland (who deserved to win) and less than inspiring performances against other teams in friendlies and qualifying.  England qualified top of their group and Frank gave consistently brillaint performances and added to his goal tally and it was without question a certainty that barring injury he would make the World Cup squad and shine.

Things didn't quite pan out like we wanted and England's performances at the World Cup were dull and uninspired.  The coach had already confounded and confused fans by picking tried and untested Theo Walcott and leaving proven scorers at home and much was expected of Frank and his England colleagues.  We were knocked out by Portugal on penalties.  Frank took the first and missed.  During the World Cup and since, Frank has been 'blamed' for England's poor performances.  One man does not a team make and others failed to shine, but its unfair to single out Frank. 

He will no doubt agree that he wasn't at his best form but to blame him would be unfair.  He gained the FIFA man of the match award for England's first match against Paraguay (which unless you visited the website you wouldn't have known about).  Its time now to put 2006 and 40 years of hurt behind England and strive for a win in Euro 2008.

To take England into Euro 2008 and at the time of writing Steve McClaren, new England coach has selected his first team for the friendly against Greece at Old Trafford.  He has rung the changes but Frank remains a stalwart of the team.  What comes of this new England era remains to be seen but Frank is an integral part of the dream for glory at Euro 2008.

CHAPTER III

Chelsea Period

3.1. International Career

Early in his career, Lampard was spotted by Peter Taylor, the England Under-21 manager, and selected for the team. His U21 debut came on November 13, 1997, in Crete against Greece. He captained the England U21 side in the 2000 U21 European Championship. His final appearance for the U21 team was in June 2000 in an away match against Slovakia. Lampard scored nine times for the under-21s, which was bettered only by Alan Shearer and Francis Jeffers (both with 13).

Lampard made his first appearance for the senior England team on October 10, 1999, starting in a friendly against Belgium in Sunderland. He played 76 minutes in the 2-1 victory, being replaced by Chelsea teammate Dennis Wise. He was not selected as one of the 23-man squad for the England side for Euro 2000, nor for the World Cup finals in June 2002 in Japan and South Korea

Lampard scored his first goal for the national side on August 20, 2003 in a friendly against Croatia, which England won 3-1. Combined with his improving club form, this helped him earn a place in the England team for the match against Iceland in the FA's Summer Tournament before Euro 2004, and he scored his second international goal as England won 6-1.

He was selected in the squad for Euro 2004 in Portugal. England reached the quarter-finals with Lampard having an exceptional tournament. He scored three goals in four matches and was named in the official Euro 2004 All-Star squad by the UEFA technical study group.With Paul Scholes's retirement from international football, Lampard finally became a fixture in Sven-Gran Eriksson's squad, scoring five goals during England's successful World Cup qualifying campaign, and wearing the number 8 shirt that Scholes vacated.

At the 2006 FIFA World Cup, Lampard failed to repeat his club form, which became a much discussed topic in the English media. He had 24 shots on goal in the tournament, only 10 of which were on target, and none of which went in. England manager Eriksson defended the player, saying 'He is working very hard to be right. He's had more shots than any other player in the tournament, which is very good. I have no concerns about him whatsoever.'

Lampard played every minute of Englands five games. He was one of three England players (the others being Steven Gerrard and Jamie Carragher of Liverpool FC) who had their penalties saved by Portugal goalkeeper Ricardo Pereira in the shoot-out defeat to Portugal in the quarter-final on 1 July

Lampard has recently become the latest in a long of players to be singled out for abuse from the England crowd (including John Barnes David Beckham Peter Crouch and Owen Hargreaves). He was booed during a friendly match against Brazil on 22 June , leading England manager Steve McClaren to publicly support the player and plead with fans to stop. He was again booed by England fans when coming on as a second-half substitute during England's Euro 2008 qualifying match against Estonia on 13 October . Despite the abuse, on 21 November Lampard took the ball from captain Steven Gerrard and stepped up to score a crucial penalty against Croatia with England trailing 2-0. Despite getting back to 2-2 England lost 3-2. After the match, Lampard was named man of the match - a decision that was booed by some England supporters.

3.2. Premiership Title

The 2004-05 season was one of the most successful in Chelsea's history, and Lampard was at its centre. He played in all 38 of the club's Premiership matches, scoring nineteen goals, remarkable for a midfielder, helping Chelsea to win their first title for 50 years by a 12-point margin. He scored another four goals in the Champions League as Chelsea made the semi-finals for the second successive year. His two goals in six matches were also instrumental in his club's League Cup victory.

So impressive was his form during the Champions League and league run that former Brazilian captain Carlos Alberto and Dutch footballer Johann Cruyff both referred to him as one of Europe's best midfielders. Lampard was voted English Footballer of the Year and earned the Football Writers' Association Footballer of the Year in 2005.

He scored 16 goals in the 2005-06 Premiership season, two goals in five Champions League matches, and two more in domestic cup action. His form has continued to impress, and in October 2005, after a Premiership match against Blackburn at Stamford Bridge, manager Jos Mourinho declared him the 'best player in the world', a sentiment echoed days earlier by Matthias Sammer in a Kicker interview.

In September 2005 Lampard was selected as a member of the World XI at the FIFPro awards. The team was chosen by a vote of professional footballers in 40 countries. In Winter 2005 he was voted runner-up twice to Ronaldinho, firstly in the European Footballer of the Year award, and secondly in the Fifa World Player of the Year Award.

Lampard is the holder of the Premiership record of playing consecutive league matches dating back to October 13, 2001, set on November 26, 2005, breaking the previous record of 159 appearances by David James. The streak was broken on December 28, 2005, after 164 games, when Lampard was taken ill before Chelsea's game at Manchester City. Also, Lampard's 16 goals in the 2005-2006 season is a record for a midfielder in the English Premier League. Lampard is often accused of scoring most of his goals from deflections. However, a report for The Guardian newspaper found that only six of his goals (8%) for Chelsea have been scored in that way.

CHAPTER IV

Frank Lampard, simply the best

Doctors have recently discovered that Lampard has an unusually large heart - a similar condition to that of Tour de France king and cancer survivor Lance Armstrong - which might go someway to explaining his phenomenal playing statistics and work rate.

In October last year, Mourinho hailed his protege as the 'best player in the world', a sentiment echoed days earlier by German legend Matthias Sammer. Lampard crowned 2005 by coming second to Ronaldhino in FIFA's World Player of the Year award.

The phrase 'practice makes perfect' may be an overused clich- to stir tired kids into taking their umpteenth penalty kick, but Chelsea midfielder Frank Lampard has proved over the last three years that if you have the will power and diligence to keep at what you love doing the most, then even the highest level of success is attainable.

Joe Cole insists Frank Lampard has the character to overcome being the latest target of the England boo boys.Lampard was jeered when he came on as a second-half substitute during the comfortable 3-0 win over Estonia in Saturday's Euro 2008 qualifier at Wembley. 'I can't believe it. He is one of the best players I have played with. I can't remember him having too many average games in an England shirt,' said Cole. 'But Frank is a strong character. If anyone is a strong enough character to deal with that, it is Frank.'Cole added: 'For me, Frank is one of the best players in the world. He has never let England down.'He has been England's player of the year. It amazes me that people can do that.'It is not nice when it happens to anyone. But Frank will come through this and show people what a top player he is.'

When Frank Lampard joined Chelsea in the summer of 2001 for an awesome amount of 11 million, Football critics derided Chelsea men for shelling out such a large amount on such an unknown player, a player who hasnt yet set the Premiership on fire.

But the stunning midfielder soon silenced his critics with his football talents. He spurred Chelsea to the Champions League win in 2002-2003 with his magnificent 13 goals and again repeated the stunning feat couple of years later. He scored 20 goals and inspired Chelsea to a glorious win in 2005-06 and continued his amazing run of goals during 2006-07 too scoring 21 goals in all and spurred the Chelsea to win the League cup once again.

He thus made Chelsea the proud team to have won back to back championships since World War II, after London-based Arsenal did it in 1933-34. This is how the indomitable spirit went on to silence his Chelsea critics for pinning hopes on him. Frank Lampard is indeed doing wonders for Chelsea

4.1. Personal and club honours

Personal Honours

Barclaycard Player of the Month - September 2003

PFA Fan's Player of the Month - October 2003

Fans player of the Season - 2004

England Fans Player of 2004

PFA Fans Player of 2005

Football Writer's Player of the Year 2005

Barclays Player of the Month - April 2005

Barclays Player of the Season 2005

Fans Player of the Season - 2005

FIFA PRO World XI - 2005

PFA Fans Player of the Month - October 2005

Barclays award for first to score 10 premiership goals - season 2005/06

Barclays Special Merit Award for Most Consecutive Premiership Appearances*

Runner Up - European Footballer of the Year 2005

Runner up - FIFA World Footballer of the Year 2005

Record Number of Consecutive Premiership Appearances - 164

England Fans Player of 2005

FA Cup Player of the Round (v Tottenham Hotspur) - March 2007

Club Honours

InterToto Cup Winner - West Ham United 1999

FA Premier Asia Cup Winner - Chelsea 2003

League Cup Winner - Chelsea 2005

Premiership Champion - Chelsea 2004/05

Community Shield Winner - Chelsea 2005

remiership Champion - Chelsea 2005/06

League Cup Winner - Chelsea 2007

FA Cup Winners - Chelsea 2007

*this was awarded to Frank when he reached 160 and beat David James' previous record

4.2. Frank Lampard Factfile and Statistics 

Frank Lampard factfile

July 1994 - Frank joins West Ham United as an apprentice.

July 1995 - Signs his first professional contract with the Hammers.

October 1995 - Joins Swansea City on loan.

October 1995 - Makes league debut while on loan at Swansea City in their 2-0 home win over Bradford City.

October 1995 - Scores his first senior goals in Swansea City's 2-0 away win at Brighton.

March 1997 - Lampard suffers broken right leg in a scoreless draw at Aston Villa.

August 1997 - Scores his first goal for West Ham in their 2-1 away win against Barnsley.

November 1997 - Frank makes England Under-21 international debut against Greece.

May 1999 - He finishes 1998/99 season without missing a single match for his club.

June 2000 - Makes last England Under-21 appearance in an away match against Slovakia.

October 1999 - Frank makes his debut for the full England national side in a home friendly against Belgium. England won 2-1.

June 2001 - He leaves West Ham United and joins Chelsea for a 11m fee.

August 2001 - Makes Premiership debut for Chelsea in 1-1 home draw with Newcastle United.

September 2001 - Sent off for the first time in his career in the 3-2 away win at Spurs.

September 2001 - Frank scores his first Chelsea goal in 3-0 home win over Levski Sofia in UEFA Cup.

August 2003 - Makes Champions' League debut in 2-0 away win at Slovakia club Zilina.

May 2003 - He ends 2002/03 season without missing a game for his club.

August 2003 - Scores first goal for the senior England team in a friendly where his side beat Croatia 3-1.

September 2003 - Named Barclays Player of the Month.

October 2003 - Named PFA Fans' Player of the Month.

May 2005 - Frank given the Football Writers' Association Footballer of the Year award.

May 2005 - He plays in all 38 matches of Chelsea's Premiership winning season.

September 2005 - Lampard named in FIFpro World team of the year.

November2005 - Voted runner-up to Ronaldinho in the European Footballer of the Year award [aka Ballon D'Or].

December 2005 - Frank comes second in the Fifa World Player of the Year Award.

December 2005 - Frank's run of playing 164 record consecutive Premiership matches ends after missing Chelsea's match at Manchester City due to illness.

April 2006 - Scored 50th league goal in Chelsea's 3-0 home win over Everton.

April 2006 - Chelsea win Premiership again after beating Manchester United 3-0 at home.

July 2006 - England exit the World Cup after losing out on penalities to Portugal - again. Frank missed a penalty along with Liverpool duo Jamie Carragher and Steven Gerrard.

November 2006 - Frank scores 'wonder goal' in Chelsea's 2-2 Champions' League match at Barcelona

Frank Lampard statistics

Club
Season	Club	App.	Sub.	Goals	Yellow	Red
	Swansea City
	West Ham United
	West Ham United
	West Ham United
	West Ham United
	West Ham United
	West Ham United
	Chelsea
	Chelsea
	Chelsea
	Chelsea
	Chelsea
	Chelsea
International
Season	Level	App.	Sub.	Goals	Yellow	Red
	England A
	England A
	England A
	England A
	England A
	England A

CHAPTER V

News among career

Lampard to play in Community Shield despite injury

Chelsea's Frank Lampard was declared fit on Friday to face Manchester United in the Community Shield at Wembley on Sunday even though he has a toe injury.

Lampard injured the toe during Chelsea's pre-season tour of the U.S. last month but Chelsea assistant manager Steve Clarke said the England midfielder will play through the pain against United.

'He's fine for Sunday. He hasn't missed a training session, he hasn't missed a match. He has a small problem in his toe but when you think the injury happened four weeks ago it's not a major injury,' Clarke said.

'It's a little bit uncomfortable for him but he's a great character and he's played every match he's been asked to play,' Clarke told reporters. (Daily Star, newspaper)

Lampard hat-trick finishes off Foxes in seven-goal thriller

Simon Burnton at Stamford Bridge
Thursday November 1, 2007
The Guardian

When Avram Grant promised that there would be more excitement at Stamford Bridge, this cannot have been what he meant. Twice Leicester led, Chelsea's second equaliser coming as late as the 86th minute, and it was deep into stoppage time before the holders confirmed their progress with a goal as chaotic as the game it decided. In the confusion Frank Lampard claimed the final touch, and with it a hat-trick. 'I don't know who scored the last goal,' said Grant, 'and I don't care. Chelsea scored it.'

Grant begs Frank to stay

By Darren Lewis 01/11/2007

Avram Grant last night begged Frank Lampard to stay at Chelsea after the England midfielder saved the defending Champions from Carling Cup humiliation.

Lampard, who has 18 months left on his contract, hit his first hat-trick for nine months to prevent managerless Leicester becoming the first team to beat Chelsea at home in open play since 2004.

Grant said: 'They are negotiating and they will find a solution. Frank wants to stay - he has told me many times - and Chelsea want him to stay.'

Lampard's hat-trick included a controversial winner deep into injury time while Andriy Shevchenko hit a dramatic 87th-minute equaliser.

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The strikes cancelled out a shock opener from City skipper Gareth McAuley and goals from sub DJ Campbell and Carl Cort. Grant added: 'I have always said that he is very important and you have seen that. Shevchenko scored a fabulous goal. He was in the right place at the right time and he is better for scoring that.'

5.1. Interviews given

INTERVIEW- THE LONDON NEWSPAPER

Exclusive interview: Frank Lampard

by Matt Butler. Friday, 18 May 2007

In an exclusive interview Frank Lampard tells Matt Butler why he has extra motivation to win the FA Cup final tomorrow.

Will winning the FA Cup, together with the Carling Cup, mean a successful season for Chelsea?
This is a great opportunity to do a double of sorts and obviously Manchester United are chasing a double as well. We didnt win the Premiership or the Champions League but if we can win the FA Cup it will constitute a successful season for us.

Have you had any tips from your two-time FA Cup-winning dad?
He hasnt given me tips on how to win the FA Cup Final but the FA Cup is the only thing he has got over me, so that gives me motivation! Hell be more than pleased to see me win a medal.

What was the first FA Cup final you remember?
The first one I remember was Coventry v Tottenham, when Spurs lost 3-2. It kind of embodied what the FA Cup can be about, with the underdog winning against the stronger team.

And the best final?
Last years one was unbelievable, with some very good goals. The game was changing between West Ham and Liverpool, until Steven Gerrard came up with the equaliser, which was something special. It was the sort of game that only the FA Cup can generate.

Whats been your best FA Cup moment personally?
I havent had that many great experiences in the FA Cup. I played in the final in 2002 but it was a huge disappointment. The day was special but we ended up on the losing side. Hopefully, the first good memory will come from Saturday.

That run to the 2002 final involved a replay win over your old club West Ham. Was it strange going back?
I have been at Chelsea six years now, so you get used to going back to your old club. But the first time I went back to West Ham was a weird feeling because you know everybody there not just players but the people who work at the ground as well. The cup game against Tottenham this season reminded me of the West Ham one in 2002 because it was against another London side and we had to play them twice before going through.

Tell us about the coaching you have been doing
Im involved in Tesco Sport for Schools & Clubs, which organises coaching sessions with kids. I enjoy coaching the kids because I remember when I was young I used to want to play with people I looked up to. I was really lucky in some respects because my dad was at West Ham and I used to hang around the training ground and pick up whatever I could from the likes of Tony Cottee and Frank McAvennie.

How does your coaching prowess stand up to that of Jose Mourinho? Should he be looking over his shoulder?
No, I actually prefer coaching kids to adults, so Jose has got no problems.

What sort of questions do they ask?
Some of the questions they ask are more interesting than ones you get from the professionals. What car I drive is a common one.  Another one I often get is how much money I earn. I just say lets skip to the next question.

How will you spend Friday night?
I have my own pre-match rituals, like having a massage and watching a bit of TV but it is sometimes difficult to relax when it is a big game like the FA Cup Final. I just have to make sure I switch off.

And Saturday?
Weve got a dinner organised. I am not sure if it will be just dinner or whether it will go into the small hours. It all depends on the result.

THE FRANK LAMPARD INTERVIEW ON CFCNET

The couple of times that I've been in the Stamford Bridge press suite, it's always been a hive of activity. There's that faint odour of embittered journalist in the air, mingling with the instant coffee. Although it's all mod-cons, with laptop ports cluttered along the walls, the low ceiling makes you feel a bit hobbit-like I kept looking over my shoulder for Ian McKellen in a pointy hat.

Yesterday, the buzz was low-key. With the players doing an open training session at the Bridge and hordes of fans queuing to get their photos taken with their idols, the actual press was less in evidence than I'd expected. Clearly, the Bridge PR machine has been fearsomely efficient in staggering the interview requests so as not to overwhelm the players. I'm waiting in a pool of expectant hacks that includes Nuts magazine, with the reporter wearing a Nuts t-shirt with what appears to be a straight face, a couple of lads from Blue and White Army, a suspiciously friendly Dutch bloke from Eurosport, and the BBC.

Joe Cole pitches in first in tracksuit and trainers and shambles over to the BAWA boys. A few minutes later, Frank wanders in and, after doing his 10 minutes with Nuts, is introduced to me.

The first thing that strikes you is his size: he's not Cech tall, but you can tell where all the hours in the gym went. Half an hour earlier, I'd sneaked out for a crafty smoke and, while talking on the phone, Tiago and Ric Carvalho walked past me on their way out. Both seemed about my size: pretty skinny, if I'm honest. Frank, by contrast, seems almost larger than life. His holiday tan is also making me acutely aware of how pasty I look. I've been asked to keep it to 10 minutes - double training session tomorrow, apparently - so after the hellos we launch straight into it.

RH: The questions I've got are all from our readers, Frank no particular order, so sorry if it seems a bit disjointed. I've got some about football, some more personal.

FL: OK.

RH: What are the main differences between Jos and Claudio, and how do you think we would have done as a team if Claudio had stayed?

FL: Training's completely different now. It used to be a lot of running and work without the ball. Now it's all with the ball, which any player loves. His style is different, obviously he's cooler. He doesn't give you a hard time. Ranieri would get quite loud, quite vocal, and he (Jos) can do that too, but he's more to the point. Rather than standing there shouting, he'll sit down and at half time he'll stand up and say his bit.

I don't know how we would have done with Ranieri, it's a hard question to answer, but I think we have moved on since we changed manager. I don't know if we'd have been as dominant as we were last season. The new things, the new ideas the manager brought in everyone took them on board so well. He is special.

RH: Player you'd most like to see at the club in the future? You can't say Stevie G!

FL (laughs): Yep, that's all done with now. (muses for a bit). If I could have anyone in the world, it would be Ronaldinho. He's fantastic, I love watching him. He's a player the players love to watch. He can create, like he created here, out of nothing. If I had the choice of anyone in the world, I'd probably pick him.

RH: It was a real privilege to see him score that goal at the Bridge even better that we put them out as well!

FL: Yeah exactly.

RH: What about expectations? It must be tough we think you're the best in the League, I've been looking at the Dream Teams for the new season and you're the most expensive midfielder in all of them. How does that feel?

FL: Yeah it is. You have to use it in a positive way I think. I've got a lot of expectancy on myself, so every year I never relax on the year before. Every year I want to get more out of myself so I use it as a driving force, rather than a pressure thing.

RH: Might be quite an easy one, this: individual who's had the biggest effect on your career?

FL: My dad I'd like to say my mum and dad, actually. My dad's had a big effect on the football side and my mum's had a big effect on me as a person. Just family, really. I'm lucky, I come from a football family which has really helped.

RH: Everyone's going to want to know the answer to this. Are you going to stay with us and finish your career here?

FL: (laughs) Yeah that's my aim. I'm really happy here. I think anyone who knows me well, and the fans too I hope, they know that I love the area, and the bond that I've had with the fans has been fantastic. More than I could ever imagine when I first came here. I came here basically as a West Ham boy, and I'll leave here as a Chelsea fan for life.

RH: We're pleased to hear it. OK, last football one then I'll try and get in some more personal ones if we've got time. One of our readers tells us that his 5-year-old son wants to be a footballer and you're his favourite player. How did you get into professional footie and how hard was it for a club to take you on?

FL: It's difficult. There's so many kids out there and it's such a cut-throat world. I've seen a lot of my mates, you know, who were better players than me at a certain age, and they're not in football now. I think as far as kids go, you just have to work hard. Work on your skills, keep focused. I can't stress the importance of working hard enough, work on all aspects of your game. If you does that and you have the ability, you'll come through.

RH: OK, a couple of personal ones and then I'll let you go before the BBC steals you. Is it true you're learning Spanish so your kids will be bilingual?

FL: That is true. I learnt for a while and then I stopped, and now I'm picking it up again. I practice with the Spanish lads and with my missus indoors. I do want my girl to be bilingual, and Ellen wants her to speak Spanish and be in touch with those roots. Living in London, English will come very easy for her but we do want to make sure that she keeps up with the Spanish.

RH: Have you ever fancied playing for Barcelona?

FL: No, not really. They're a great club, Barcelona are my favourite team in Spain, let's put it that way the history and the players, you know, when you're growing up there's always a team abroad that you like and I always liked Barcelona, but no. I'm happy here, and why change when you love the club and the club's in a really good position right now.

RH: OK. Robbie and Kezman and your trousers. What's the story? Is that true?

FL: Yeah, they cut my pants.

RH: Your keks, not your trousers?

FL: Yeah my pants, I think it was in Moscow last year and I got changed for training the day before we played Moscow, but the fact is they actually wanted to do John's, me and John were next to each other and they did mine by mistake. John had done them I think. So yeah it is true.

RH: Nice one. OK, last one, do you support West Ham when they're not playing Chelsea?

FL: (Laughs) I don't actually, no. I get asked that a lot and I really don't. A lot of things happened when I left there, and to be fair they treated me really bad, and now I have to play against them so I don't have any feelings for them at all.

RH: Unlucky with the penalty last season but we're hoping you get one this time round.

FL : I'd love to score against them, yeah. When you take a lot of stick you want to ram it down people's throats.

RH: Frank, thanks a lot for your time and we're all wishing you the best for the new season.

FL: Anytime, no problem.

So there we go. To quote Tim Nice But Dim, bloody nice bloke. All of us at CFCnet would like to thank Frank, Pippa from the Chelsea press office, and you guys for sending in your questions. I'm just sorry we couldn't fit everyone's in but, as you can imagine, we had hundreds to choose from and only a limited amount of time. With any luck, Pippa will have us back some time soon to bother another player, so we'll let you know if and when.

5.2. Lampards quotes

You get to the stage where every little bit of criticism that comes to you, you use to make you stronger, We get it from a lot of angles now and we hope to answer it by success.

It has been best week of my life. This has put the icing on it. I am so proud.

We're not invincible, no team is invincible, And we have to make sure that we don't ever think we are because that would be our downfall.

Without shouting and screaming, the manager reorganized the team, went for three at the back, much more attacking, He just said we weren't playing as well as we can and we weren't winning tackles. He let us know that and we went out and put that all right.

I am sure the rest of the league is not giving up and it is definitely not cut and dried yet,

It is too hard to say how close the league is going to be. It is so early to be talking about a points gap.

We played very well at the weekend and when we do it is hard for teams to beat us because we have a lot of quality in the side,

It's too early. People are already talking about the points gap. We have started very well but we know that we have got to go on at the same level as we did last year.

A big deal was made about one game. There's a lot of football on TV but we still get a lot of full houses. We get great support and a lot of teams up and down the country get it as well.

There are obviously great English players in the Premier League, and there have been so many fantastic foreigners too. They have brought such a great aspect to the game, are really enjoyable and exciting to watch, and that is one of the reasons why we have got such an exciting league.

There's so many kids out there and it's such a cut-throat world. I've seen a lot of my mates who were better players than me at a certain age, and they're not in football now.

I never relax on the year before. Every year I want to get more out of myself so I use it as a driving force, rather than a pressure thing

I think I work harder on the pitch, I cover more ground and my passing is more accurate.

CHAPTER VI.

Frank Lampard- international superstar

Although procured for a record fee, it wasn't until the arrival of Chelsea's current boss Jose Mourinho in 2004 that Lampard came into his own in a team that have dominated the Premiership over the last couple of seasons.

In his first press conference as Blues manager, Mourinho said he was not prepared to discuss individual players, making one exception - he 'loved' Lampard. The 2004-05 season was perhaps the club's most successful ever - winning the Premiership and the League Cup, and reaching the semi-final of the Champions League - with the midfielder in the driving seat. The Essex native played in all 38 of the team's Premiership matches, scoring 13 goals.

Underperforming humourless wannabe-Barcelona midfielder Frank Lampard has got his own mobile TV channel. It's called Frank TV, and is being launched by Orange as part of its drive to persuade more people to watch telly on their phones.

It includes Frank's own video diaries filmed in the last two seasons at Stamford Bridge, Chelsea's training ground and Frank's house. There's also guest interviews with his dad Frank Lampard Sr, Jamie Redknapp and, er, rugby player Lawrence Dallaglio. Oh, and you get to see Frank's pets. Genius. At last a reason to watch mobile TV, eh?

'It's been an exciting project to be part of. It's not every day you get asked to launch your own dedicated TV channel,' says Lampard. I look forward to more footage of Frank pursing his cat-bum mouth in irritation when young tyros like Joey Barton suggest that maybe, just maybe, Lampard isn't that great when playing for England.

The England international will not sit down and discuss a new contract until the end of the season and, while that continues to raise suspicions over his future, the 29-year-old has said he is not looking to leave Chelsea On a scale of one to 10, Chelsea is a 10 for me in terms of importance and I'm not just saying that,' Lampard said. 'Everyone around me knows how much Chelsea mean to me. In my life my family comes first, but Chelsea come second. I don't think I will receive the love I get from the Chelsea fans anywhere else. I feel strongly about it and I'd love to have another six or seven years of it. I'm at a club I love and living in an area I love.'

6.1. Messageboard

Your Fan From Georgia,Europe
 posted by Soso Salakaia - 12-14-2007 09:36:53

You are the best player in the world!!!

Hi Frank!!!
 posted by Sandra - 12-14-2007 08:28:23

My name is Sandra.I am 15 yars and I admire you very much.You are the best football player in the world.you can give me a message???kisses!!!

Frank, you the best!
 posted by Jodie - 11-25-2007 08:15:49

Hi Frank, just wanted to say your the best footballer ever. The people who boo you should be ashamed of themselves. Your fiance is so lucky cos you the best looking footballer around!! YOUR THE GREATEST!

are you..
 posted by holly - 11-11-2007 10:25:04

hi frank, i've been looking everywhere but can't find out, are you married?

hi
 posted by lizzy - 11-08-2007 03:04:54

hi frank lampard i am your biggest fan and i hope you score the next goal for cheaslea beascase u are the best in the hole team

hi frank i need help with my essay about you!
 posted by vikki langley - 11-02-2007 05:40:15

hi am doin a french essay about you and i was wondering wat music do you like ? And wat are your hobbies except football ? thanks oh and i am a huge fan of you love vikki x x

Hello agine
 posted by Sebek19 - 10-31-2007 04:37:14

I want to say that you are my favourite player. Please stay in Chelsea, because I love that team. Your passes and shots are absolutely brilliant.You are the best midfield. Your great fan :P ;P

i love you
 posted by motya - 10-31-2007 02:23:02

hi my name is motya i'm your number one fan you are best footballer in the world you are beautiful and pretty man i think i love you please write me bye i love you

Best Frank
 posted by Tink - 10-19-2007 07:34:29

You are the best to me

hi Frank
 posted by fernanda[!] - 10-14-2007 11:22:15

I love youin from Peru and I love Chelsea football club specially you you are the most cute! and you play excellent i love you so much i like how you play in the champion league i hope that you write me soon.

Frank Lampard
 posted by Savannah-May Allaway - 10-12-2007 06:52:31

Hello Can I Just Say That I Think That Frank Lampard Is Such A Gifted Player And A Great Family Man.
I wish Him All The Best On His Career And What Ever Club He Plays For In The Future I Will Supprt Him Because I Would Give Him A ll The Time In The World
Luv Ya Frank ..xx

your the coolest
 posted by danutzu - 09-22-2007 06:16:50

your the best football player I've ever seen.your long-shot it's unbeliveble..I hope one day I'll be like u..your biggest fan..Dan

Frank you're the best!!
 posted by Lara - 09-21-2007 08:56:51

I'm a your Italian Fan and I follow every match!!You're the best and great because you make me like football!!!When you come in Italy??

to my hero
 posted by eni - 08-30-2007 01:12:42

hi frank.you are my hero because you are the best.i am chelsea crazy fan from albania.please don't leave chelsea .without you chelsea is very bad.you the no:1
.please if you can sent me your mail adress.forever with chelsea ENI

OMG Hi! !
 posted by Lampard lover^_^ - 08-17-2007 02:32:32

this website is amazing! i think that you are great and i would die to meet you!!!!!

Hello frank
 posted by Erneto and Irene - 07-15-2007 11:25:32

Hello Frank,
We hope you had a great time in USA. specially in Stanford stadium. Congratulations for the great game!
We are the couple that went to Stanford specialy to say hello to you and give you a present for your daughters. We tried to get your attention. Not sure if you saw us. We gave James Melbourne the presents so he can give then to you. From where we were standing, we did see James giving you the presents. We hope luna and Isla like them:)
Hope to see you here in California or maybe at Spain. Please say hi to Elen from both of us. She will know who we are:)

Ernesto and Irene

APPENDIX

BIBLIOGRAPHY

Frank Lampard, Totally Frank: The Autoboigraphy of Frank Lampard,

2006, London;

Frank Lampard and Ian McGarry, Totally Frank: My Autoboigraphy, 2006,

London;

Douglas Thompson, Frank Lampard: The Biography, 2005, London

Douglas Thompson, Super Frank: Frank Lampard the Biography of Englands

Greatest Footballer, 2006, London;

Daily Star newspaper