As predicted here on The18 back in early June, Major League Soccer expansion franchise New York City FC completed a deal to bring Chelsea FC legend Frank Lampard to the club when the team makes its debut in 2015. Lampard, 36, was told earlier this summer that he was not a part of Chelsea’s future, renewing rumors that Lampard would be moving to MLS, which have been present during the last few offseasons. He said all the right things on Thursday at his introductory press conference for the expansion club that is owned by the same folks as Manchester City, including “I want to keep on challenging myself. I want to be that leader on and off the pitch, I’ve been watching games in the MLS for a long time back home. It’s a great opportunity and a challenge for me.”
Lampard leaves Chelsea after a prolific thirteen seasons in which he established himself as the club’s all-time leading scorer with 211 goals in an incredible 648 appearances in all competitions. He is also the 5th-leading scorer in the history of the Premier League (which granted was only formed in 1992), an incredible accomplishment for a midfielder. During his time at Chelsea, Lampard won three Premier League titles, four FA Cups, two League Cup titles, and of course the 2011-2012 Champions League. On an individual level, Lampard was runner-up in both the Ballon d’Or and FIFA World Player of the Year (before they were combined) back in 2005 and was Premier League Player of the Season in 2005 & 2006. SuperFrank, as he was affectionately known amongst the Chelsea faithful is nothing less than a club legend and he will be dearly missed by those clad in blue (full disclosure, I am one of those faithful and Lampard has a special place in my heart).
Lampard also had a distinguished career representing England on the international stage, scoring 29 goals in 106 total appearances. Though sadly, Lampard’s time for England may be remembered most for the goal that he did not get credit for rather than those he did. The egregious blown call in the 2010 World Cup round-of-16 match against rival Germany was the main catalyst for FIFA to institute goal-line technology at this year’s World Cup in Brazil, though that was little consolation for Lampard and England.
Throughout his career, Lampard was continually underrated by both the English media and the fans throughout the country. While those in the north tended to rally around Liverpool’s Steven Gerrard, the general hatred that most of the country has for Chelsea, combined with the plethora of clubs in London, prevented Lampard from garnering the same level of appreciation that his accomplishments warranted. The focus always seemed to be on what Frank could not do rather than what he could: his inability to forge a successful partnership with Gerrard while playing for England, his lack of pace compared to other players, and so on. However, from 2005-06 through 2009-10, Lampard scored at least twenty goals for his club in all competitions every season, which is unheard of for a midfielder (at this point, Chelsea would love that kind of productivity from its entire roster of strikers). His uncanny ability to be in the right place at the right time to slot home crucial goals will perhaps be what he is remembered most for, but do not let that fool you: the man could do amazing things on the pitch. Here's a compilation of Lampard’s 25 best goals.
(Weirdly, while watching this, my allergies all of a sudden flared up...)
He also was a tremendous penalty taker, a seemingly near-certainty to score each time he stepped up to the spot. He came through when it mattered most on the biggest stage, scoring the second goal for Chelsea during the penalty shoot-out in the 2012 Champions League Final against Bayern Munich (with the pressure on after teammate Juan Mata had already missed).
Beyond the goals and silverware that he delivered for Chelsea, perhaps Lampard’s most defining qualities were his dependability and leadership. Quite simply, he showed up, was rarely injured, and was a constant attacking presence in the Chelsea midfield during his entire tenure. He was never the fastest guy on the pitch or the one with dazzling technical ability or fancy moves, but he wanted it more than anyone else and he put the ball in the back of the net at an astounding rate. With a squad that included the frequently reviled Ashley Cole and John Terry, Lampard was also one of the (very) few players on Chelsea’s squad that fans of other clubs did not hate and (dare I say) even respected. He even has a pretty decent sense of humor about himself...Check out Lampard and his fiancé with the cast of “Outnumbered” in a clip for charity:
All of his accomplishments are great, but the pressing question is what NYCFC is getting now? Lampard is now 36-years-old and while he still featured in a number of matches for Chelsea this past season, there’s no question that his skills have diminished. Over the last two years, Lampard was moved further back up the pitch and was not nearly the threat to score that he was throughout most of his career. There is no question that Lampard still has something left in the tank, as he did feature for a top Premier League club this past season and was also a member of the England squad during this World Cup (ok...in retrospect maybe that’s not as impressive). Assuming he can stay healthy, Lampard should be one of the best players in the MLS this season and it is intriguing to imagine how he will play alongside fellow new signee David Villa, and perhaps even Barcelona star Xavi, if rumors are to be believed. As a household name amongst soccer fans, Lampard will help launch the new franchise in New York City and his presence should draw a lot of positive attention for the club, both domestically and internationally.
New York City FC may get an idea of what they have left in Lampard should the rumors of his loan to Australia for the fall season come to fruition. Manchester City’s owners also control Melbourne City FC and so it would make sense for Lampard and Villa to play for the club in the fall, in order to stay fit as they await the next MLS season in the spring. While the signing will stoke the flames that the MLS is nothing more than a retirement league for aged European stars, at a minimum, Lampard will raise the level of competition on the pitch and bring more attention to his new club and the league as a whole. We at the18 cannot wait to see how SuperFrank does in Major League Soccer. Is it 2015 yet?
Follow Mike Smith on Twitter @thefootiegent
