Frank Lampard spoke for the first time as Derby County manager on Thursday afternoon after it was announced he had signed a three-year deal with the Rams.


National and local journalists descended on Pride Park Stadium as Lampard and Executive Chairman Mel Morris, CBE, discussed the exciting future of the club.

Here are the five key points from the manager’s first press conference:

A Move Into Management Was The Natural Path…

Lampard called time on his illustrious 20-year playing career in 2016 after topping the Premier League three times with Chelsea, winning four FA Cup and two Football League Cup titles and lifting the UEFA Champions League and UEFA Europa League trophies.

However, his hunger for success wasn’t hung up with his boots and his competitive nature has lead him on a new journey, one he hopes will be just as successful.

Speaking at the media briefing, Lampard said: “You can’t take away the love we have for wanting to succeed.

“I’ve had 18 months away from playing, which has been great for me, but I still had that desire to manage and be at the cut-throat end which has been in my blood since I can remember. I missed that.

“I understand it’s not always plain-sailing, that comes with the territory. I’m not afraid of that, I just want to make a success of it.”

An Attracting History And Tradition

At 39-years-old, Lampard has already cemented his name in the history books as Chelsea’s all-time top scorer with 211 goals, he made a record 164 Premier League appearances as well as more than 100 caps for England.

That passion and ambition he brought on the pitch, he insists, will be mirrored at Derby, a club that is draped in its own strong history.

“I’m well aware of the tradition, you walk the hallways and it’s coming off the walls,” said Lampard.

“I knew that already coming here, the size of the club and I knew the fanbase, so the opportunity for my first job as a manager was just a great one.

“It felt completely right for me and I can’t wait to get started.”


The First Rule Of Football Is Hard Work

Lampard played almost 650 professional football matches, but none came in the Championship.

The majority came in the Premier League, though he also appeared in the EFL Second Division for Swansea City in 1995/96 and played two seasons in the United States’ MLS.

However, the former FIFA Player of the Year runner-up is confident in his knowledge of the sport and insists he has seen plenty of Championship football.

“I watch it a lot, don’t worry about that! The Championship is one of the most entertaining leagues, toughest leagues to get out of and most competitive,” he said.

“I watched it week-in-week-out, both play-off games between Fulham and Derby and I have watched numerous Derby games from last season.

“I enjoy football and I don’t think there is a great difference, the rules remain the same. The first rule is hard-work and being competitive and if you give that as a player you have a great chance of success.

“Things will change, things will evolve and I will put my mark on the team but the basic thing I will demand is that work-rate and desire because in the Championship as much as any league, that is crucial.”

He’s Learned From The Best

Lampard is likely to draw on traits he picked up from the likes of Jose Mourinho, Claudio Ranieri, Carlo Ancelotti to name just a few, but he aims to make his own mark in managing.

“I’ve thought about [managing] a lot,” he said.

“I had the pleasure of working under so many great managers and I tried to take everything on board.

“But I am my own person and not a clone of any one manager I had. I saw what I thought was the good and the bad of all of them and I will make my own judgements.

“I will be open, I feel like I know the needs of the dressing room and I will open that relationship up with the players very quickly. It is a blank canvas and I will try and improve all the players as well as the club. I’m a hard worker and I will bring that to the club.”

He added: “I’m here to succeed and be competitive. We will aim high, but be realistic. From the first day of pre-season when I talk to the squad the message is that we want to be successful and we want to win promotion.”


He Has An Ability To Inspire

Mr. Morris explained that he and the new manager had common views on the club’s progression and that his lack of managerial experience posed no doubt on his decision.

Mr. Morris said: “Frank was a standout candidate for me in terms of being able to manage the blend of inspiring the players we have and freshening up the team.

“Frank has come into this with a tremendous knowledge of the game and his personality speaks for itself.

“He has tremendous humility, he is extremely humble and has great empathy with people and I think that is great.

“If you look at his track record, he will inspire people and I am convinced that will be a major factor in us going forward.”

One Final Point, Suit Or Tracksuit?

“Suit… I like to be smart, that’s my style. But win games, whether it’s tracksuit or suit!”