Frank James Lampard (born 20 June 1978) is an English footballer who plays for Premier League club Chelsea and the England national team. He plays most often as a box-to-box midfielder and has also enjoyed spells in a more advanced attacking midfield role.
Lampard began his career at West Ham United, his father's former club. Joining the youth team in 1994, he had secured a place in the first team by the 1997-98 season. He helped the team secure their highest ever Premier League placing in the 1998-99 season. The following season Lampard scored 14 goals in all competitions from midfield. With progress stagnating at West Ham, he moved to rival London club Chelsea in 2001 for £11 million.
From his debut onwards he was ever-present in the Chelsea first team, setting a record 164 consecutive Premier League appearances. He established himself as a prolific scorer at the West London club and was a key part of the sides which won back-to-back Premier League titles in 2004-05 and 2005-06 and a domestic cup double in 2007. He signed a new contract in 2008, becoming the highest paid Premier League footballer at that time,[3] and scored in his first Champions League Final that same year. He won the FA Cup for the second time in 2009, scoring the winning goal in the final. On December 23, 2009, he was named the Premier League's Player of the decade by official stats.[4]
Lampard has won the Chelsea player of the year award three times and is the clubs 5th all-time goalscorer with 139 goals, the most in club history for a midfielder. He is the highest goalscoring midfielder in Premier League history with 113 league goals [5] and he's 4th in the premier league's all-seasons assists table with 147[6]. In 2005, Lampard was voted FWA Footballer of the Year and came second in both the FIFA World Player of the Year and the Ballon d'Or.[7][8][9][10]
Internationally, Lampard has been capped 76 times by England since making his debut in 1999, and scored 20 goals. He played in UEFA Euro 2004 (scoring three goals in four games) and the 2006 FIFA World Cup. He has two children, Luna and Isla, with Elen Rives.
Biography
Born in Romford, London, Frank Lampard is the son of Frank Lampard Sr., a former England fullback and two-time FA Cup winner with West Ham United. His mother, Pat, died of pneumonia on 24 April 2008, and since her death his goal celebration has consisted of pointing to the sky.
Club career
West Ham United
Lampard joined West Ham, where his father was the assistant coach, as an apprentice in July 1994 as part of their youth system, and signed his professional forms a year later. He was loaned to Second Division team Swansea City in October 1995, and debuted in a 2-0 win over Bradford City, and scoring his first senior goal in a game against Brighton & Hove Albion.[11] Lampard made nine league appearances for Swansea before returning to West Ham in January 1996, with whom he played his first match at the end of the month against Coventry City, and spent the remainder of the season as a reserve.
The next year, a broken leg suffered in a March game against Aston Villa prematurely put an end to Lampard's 1996-97 season after thirteen appearances. He had to wait until the 1997-98 campaign to score his first goal for West Ham, which came in a road victory over Barnsley. He became a starter in 1998-99 and appeared in every match as West Ham finished fifth in the Premier League standings, which saw the club qualify for Europe. In the 1999-2000 season, Lampard finished as West Ham's third highest scorer, with a total of 13 goals, which was his highest single season total. These included his first ever European goals, with a total of four in the club's Intertoto Cup and UEFA Cup campaigns. Following the sale of teammate and friend Rio Ferdinand to Leeds United after the 2000-01 season, combined with the departures of his father and Redknapp, Lampard followed suit and left West Ham. Aston Villa announced their interest and even had a last-minute bid accepted by West Ham[12], but Lampard chose to stay in London by joining Chelsea for an £11 million fee.[13]
Chelsea
2001–2004
Lampard warming up for Chelsea
Lampard's Premiership debut with Chelsea came on 19 August 2001 in a 1-1 draw with Newcastle United, while his first red card came in a match against Tottenham Hotspur on 16 September. On 23 September Lampard, along with three other Chelsea players was fined two weeks wages for his behavior whilst on a drinking binge on 12 September. Lampard and the others had abused grieving American tourists at a Heathrow hotel, just 24 hours after the September 11th attacks. A hotel manager stated "they were utterly disgusting. They just didn't seem to care about what had happened".[14]
He scored a total of seven goals in all competitions in his first season at Chelsea. Lampard appeared in all of Chelsea's league matches and scored eight goals in the 2001-02 season. He netted the match-winner in Chelsea's 2002-03 season-opener against Charlton Athletic.
The following season, he was selected as the Barclays Player of the Month in September 2003, and the PFA Fans' Player of the Month in October. Chelsea finished 2nd in the 2003-04 Premier League behind unbeaten Arsenal F.C. and he was named in the 2004 PFA Team of the Year as he reached double figures in league goals (10) for the first time in his career, in addition to four goals in fourteen UEFA Champions League matches, as Chelsea advanced to the semi-finals. In the semi-final vs Monaco he scored, but Chelsea lost 5-3 on aggregate[15].
2004–2007
Lampard in 2007
Lampard played in all thirty-eight Premiership matches for the third consecutive season in 2004-05. He finished with 13 goals (19 in all competitions), in addition to leading the league in assists with sixteen.[16] He scored a long-range goal from 25 yards vs Crystal Palace in Premier League which Chelsea won 4-1[17]. He scored two goals vs Bolton in a 2-0 win which was the Premier League title winning match[18], which also won the first major trophy of his career as Chelsea bagged their first Premiership title in fifty years, by a twelve point margin. He was named as Barclays Player of the Season[19]. In the Champions League quarter-finals he scored 3 goals in 2 legs against Bayern Munich as Chelsea won 6-5 on aggregate, his second goal in the first leg was stunning, he controlled Makelele's cross with his chest then turned & swivelled and sent the ball inside the far post with a left-foot half volley[20][21]. Though Chelsea were eliminated in the Champions League semi-finals by league rivals Liverpool, they took home the Football League Cup, in which Lampard scored twice in six matches, which included the opening goal vs Manchester United in the League Cup semifinal, which Chelsea won 2-1. He landed his first personal award by being named the FWA Footballer of the Year.[22] Football legend Johan Cruyff referred to him as "the best midfielder in Europe".
He netted a career-high 16 league goals in 2005-06, which marked an increase for the fifth consecutive season and was a Premier League record for a midfielder to score goals in one season. In September 2005, Lampard was selected as a member of the inaugural FIFPro World XI.[23] His record of consecutive Premiership appearances ended at 164 (five better than previous record-holder David James) on 28 December 2005, when he sat out a match against Manchester City due to illness.[24] The streak began on 13 October 2001, during his first season with the club, though has since been bettered twice[25]. He finished as runner-up to Ronaldinho for both the Ballon d'Or and FIFA World Player of the Year awards.[26][27]. He scored twice against Blackburn Rovers F.C. in a 4-2 win, which included a free-kick from 25 yards. After the match manager Jose Mourinho hailed Lampard as the Best player in the world[28]. Chelsea won the Premier League for the second time, in which Lampard was Chelsea's topscorer with 16 league goals. In the Champions League group stages, he scored a free-kick vs R.S.C. Anderlecht, Chelsea proggresed to the first knock-out round but were eliminated there by F.C. Barcelona.
Due to a back injury sustained by John Terry, Lampard spent much of the 2006-07 campaign as team captain in his absence. He enjoyed a streak of seven goals in eight games, he scored both the goals in a 2-0 win over Fulham F.C. and scored his 77th goal for Chelsea from a long range strike in a 3–2 win over Everton on 17 December, overtaking Dennis Wise as Chelsea's highest scoring midfielder.[29]. Then in the UEFA Champions League group stages he scored a goal from a extremely tight angle vs Barcelona, at Camp Nou, the match ended 2-2 [30]. Lampard finished with 21 goals in all competitions, including a career-high six FA Cup goals; he had scored seven Cup goals in his first eleven seasons combined. He scored his first Chelsea hat-trick in the third-round tie against Macclesfield Town on 6 January 2007. He scored two goals to help Chelsea to a quarter-final draw with Tottenham Hotspur after having trailed 3-1, and he was named the FA Cup player-of-the-round for his performance.[31]. He gave the assist to Didier Drogba in the 2007 FA Cup Final which was the winning goal in extra-time, as Chelsea won it 1-0. In a post-match interview following Chelsea's FA Cup Final victory over Manchester United, Lampard said he wanted to stay at the club "forever."[32]
2007–2009
Lampard signing a match-day programme
Lampard's 2007-08 season was riddled with injury, managing to play 40 matches, 24 of which in the league-the fewest he had played in a season since 1996-97. On 16 February 2008, Lampard became the eighth Chelsea player to score 100 goals for the club in a 3-1 FA Cup fifth-round win over Huddersfield Town.[33] After the final whistle, Lampard removed his jersey and flashed a T-shirt to the Chelsea fans with "100 Not Out, They Are All For You, Thanks" printed across the front.[34]. Then in the Premier League match vs Liverpoool he scored a penalty in the 62nd, from which Chelsea equalised, the match ended 1-1 at Anfield. He scored four goals in a 6-1 rout of Derby County on 12 March. Then in UEFA Champions League quarter-finals, second leg he scored the winning goal against Fenerbache in the 87th minute as Chelsea won 3-2 on aggregate[35]. On 30 April, Lampard, grieving the loss of his mother a week earlier, decided to play in the second leg of Chelsea's Champions League semifinal against Liverpool, who were eliminated on 4-3 aggregate as he took a emotional penalty in the 98th minute of extra-time, which he scored confidendtly[36]. In the final against Manchester United, he scored an equalising goal in the 45th minute, as Michael Essien's deflected shot found him as he went to the box with his trade-mark run, he scored with a left foot finish. The Match ended 1-1 after extra-time and Chelsea lost 6-5 on penalties. He was later named UEFA Club Midfielder of the Year.
On 13 August 2008, Lampard signed a new five-year contract with Chelsea worth £39.2 million, making him the highest-paid Premiership player.[3][37] He started the 2008-09 season by scoring five goals in his first eleven league matches. He scored the 150th goal of his club career with a goal vs Manchester City in the Premier League. Then he scored chipped goal vs Hull City with his left foot in the Premier League; he unleashed a chip from 20 yards that curled & swerved and fooled the goal-keeper as it went into the net, World Cup winning coach Luiz Felipe Scolari said after the game: "It was the best goal I have seen, My vote for World Player of the year award will go to him ,only a player with his intelligence could have done that"[38]. He scored his hundredth career Premiership goal in a 5-0 victory over Sunderland on 2 November.[39] Eighteen of Lampard's hundred goals were penalties.[40]
Lampard playing for Chelsea
He was named Premier League Player of the Month for the third time in his career in October.[41] After a streak of matches without scoring, Lampard scored three goals in the span of two days, the first being against West Bromwich Albion and the latter two against Fulham.[42][43]. On January 17, 2009, he made his 400th Chelsea appearance against Stoke City, scoring a stoppage time winner. He again scored a stoppage time winner, this time vs Wigan Athletic. Then in the FA cup 4th round, he scored a free-kick from 35 yards vs Ipswich Town. He scored twice against Liverpool in the second-leg quarter finals of the Champions League which ended 4-4, but Chelsea won 7-5 on aggregate. Then he provided two assists in the next game against Arsenal in FA Cup Semi-finals which Chelsea won 2-1. Lampard finished the Premier League season with 12 goals and 10 assists, and won the Chelsea player of the Year for 2009. Manchester United Manager Sir Alex Ferguson heaped praise on Lampard saying: "Frank Lampard is an exceptional player - a huge asset to Chelsea, You pay attention to players who can get goals from midfield and he's been averaging 20 a season.You don't see him getting into stupid tackles or making a habit of becoming involved in silly rows. He remained restrained after Chelsea were knocked out of the Champions League by Barcelona and even made a point of swapping shirts with Andres Iniesta."
Lampard's 20th goal of the season was the winning goal in the 2009 FA Cup Final against Everton, with a left-foot shot from long-range. He repeated the corner flag celebration his father had done after scoring the winning goal in the 1980 FA Cup semifinal second leg against Everton. It was the fourth consecutive season that he scored 20 or more goals. He was named later named Chelsea's Player of the Year for the third time.
2009–present
Lampard scored against Manchester United, in the 2009 Community Shield, in the 72nd minute, the match ended 2-2, but Chelsea won 4-1 on penalties. On 18 August 2009, Lampard scored Chelsea's second goal in a 3-1 away win against Sunderland. He scored his 133rd goal for Chelsea in a UEFA Champions League match against Atletico Madrid on 21 October 2009, which moved him up to 5th among the club's all time goalscorers. He had been struggling to score the amount of goals he had in the past seasons however this soon changed as he scored 2 goals in the 5-0 defeat of Blackburn Rovers on 24 October 2009. On 30 October 2009, he was nominated for the FIFA World Player of the Year award for the sixth straight year.[44]. He then scored a penalty against Bolton as Chelsea ran out 4-0 winners on Halloween. On 13 November 2009 it was confirmed Lampard would be out for around 3 weeks due to a thigh injury sustained on international duty.[45]. Lampard was out for 3 weeks following an injury during training in Doha, leading up to an internaional match against Brazil for England. But on 29th November, Lampard made his return against London rivals Arsenal in which Chelsea won 3-0. On the 16th December, Lampard scored a crucial 79th minute winning goal from a penalty vs. Portsmouth and on 20th December, Lampard scored a penalty against West Ham, however he had to take his spot-kick 3 times due to players running into the box to early, he scored all three and later kissed his fists in front of Hammers fan at the West Stand before kick-off.
International career
Lampard was first spotted by England under-21 manager Peter Taylor, and his under-21 debut came on 13 November 1997 in a match against Greece. He played for the under-21 side from November 1997 to June 2000, and scored nine goals, a mark bettered only by Alan Shearer and Francis Jeffers.
Lampard earned his first cap for England on 10 October 1999 in a 2-1 friendly win over Belgium, and scored his first goal on 20 August 2003 in a 3-1 win over Croatia. He was bypassed for UEFA Euro 2000 and the 2002 FIFA World Cup, and had to wait until UEFA Euro 2004 to participate in his first international competition. England reached the quarter-finals with Lampard netting three goals in four matches, he qualised for England in the 112th minute against Portugal bringing the scoreline to 2–2 but England lost on penalties. He was named in the team of the tournament by UEFA.[46] He became a regular in the squad following the retirement of Paul Scholes, and was voted England Player of the Year by fans in 2004 and 2005.[47][48]
Though Lampard played every minute of England's 2006 World Cup matches, he went scoreless as England were eliminated in the quarterfinals by Portugal on penalties.[49] He scored in a 2-1 loss to Germany in a friendly. He was booed by England supporters while coming on as a second-half substitute during England's Euro 2008 qualifying match against Estonia on 13 October 2007,[50] and finished with one goal (a 3-2 loss to Croatia on 21 November) as England failed to qualify for the tournament. He scored his first international goal in two years in a 4-0 win over Slovakia in March 2009, and also created another for Wayne Rooney. Lampard's goal was the 500th England goal scored at Wembley.[51]. On 9 September 2009, Lampard struck twice in England's 5-1 win against Croatia which secured their place for World Cup 2010.[52]
Personal life
In 2000, Lampard, Ferdinand and Kieron Dyer appeared on a sex video that was filmed at the holiday resort of Ayia Napa on Cyprus. Channel 4 aired a brief clip as part of their 2004 documentary Sex, Footballers and Videotape, claiming it was used to "remind the viewer that this is based on real life."[53] Lampard lives in Surrey and has two children with his former fiancee Elen Rives, Luna (born 22 August 2005) and Isla (born 20 May 2007).[54] His autobiography, Totally Frank, was published in August 2006. In mid-February 2009 it was reported that Lampard and Rives had split, with Rives taking between £1m to £12.5m in settlement fees from Lampard's estimated £32m net worth.[55][56]
A year after the death of his mother, on 24 April 2009, Lampard was involved in a radio confrontation with James O'Brien on the London radio station LBC 97.3.[57] Newspapers had reported that following Lampard's split from Rives their children were living with her in a small flat while Lampard had converted their family home into a bachelor pad. Lampard phoned-in, objecting to the assertion that he was "weak" and "scum" for allowing his children to live in inferior conditions to him, and that he had fought "tooth and nail" to keep his family together.[58]
He is a supporter of the Conservative Party,[59] but admitted that he had yet to vote in an election. British media reported that Lampard showed an unusually high IQ score during neurological research carried about by the Chelsea Club doctor, Bryan English. English stated that "Frank Lampard scored one of the highest set of marks ever recorded by the company doing the tests".[60] He was selected by EA Sports to be one of the three football stars to be on the cover of FIFA 10 football game pack globally, along with Theo Walcott and Wayne Rooney.[61]
Lampard is dating television presenter Christine Bleakley.[62]
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