In life, they say you should never go back... but Frank Lampard simply could not afford to turn down the unlikeliest of opportunities.
Lampard was reappointed as Chelsea manager on Thursday, just 27 months after they sacked him. The 44-year-old's contract will run until the end of the season, but a strong showing between now and then can revive his stuttering managerial career.
Lampard didn't pull up any trees during his first spell at Chelsea, and the same could be said about his uninspiring time at Everton. Few critics predicted he would get another chance at a big club, but here we are. This is the Englishman's shot at redemption.
But what will the Chelsea players make of Lampard return? Here, Mirror Football takes a look at everything that was said about the returning Blues boss during his first spell in charge and after his dismissal... and the quotes are interesting.
Mateo Kovacic
The Croatian was full of praise for Lampard during an interview with FourFourTwo in March 2020. He said, "When the club announced him as their new coach, I wasn’t sure what to expect. I came to Chelsea under [Lampard's predecessor Maurizio] Sarri.
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"But I must say that Lampard is an exceptional manager. He has kept the character he had as a player in his personality as a coach, which has inspired all of us. He commits himself with everything he’s got.
Mateo Kovacic enjoyed playing under Frank Lampard (Getty Images)What do you make of Frank Lampard's return to Chelsea? Let us know in the comments below!
"Training is always challenging and different from last season - that’s probably the main difference between Lampard and Sarri, who made the concept of training quite monotonous. There were a lot of similar training sessions with a focus on tactical preparation.
"I believe Frank has a bright future ahead of him, and if he gets enough time he can take Chelsea to many more successes."
Yet after Thomas Tuchel succeeded Lampard in January 2021, Kovacic admitted the team improved as a result. He told the club's website, "I think we’ve improved a lot in the last three games, but I think we can be even better and be even more confident."
Callum Hudson-Odoi
Hudson-Odoi said it was an "amazing feeling" after Lampard was appointed in July 2019. He told the club's website in April 2020, "You could tell that he demanded a lot from the players he was playing with.
"It’s an amazing feeling to know that an ex-player, an ex-legend, has come back to the club and has the opportunity to work for the club, and we’re working under him. Every day we want to learn and keep improving.
"Obviously he knows all about becoming a top player so you want to learn under him and maybe one day become a Chelsea legend yourself!"
Tammy Abraham
The England international called Lampard the "perfect manager" in April 2020. As quoted by The Metro, Abraham said, "You know what, I’ve said it to so many people, I couldn’t ask for a better manager around.
"He believes in every youngster, tells you where you’ve gone wrong, tells you what you need to do, and for me he is the perfect manager."
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Kepa Arrizabalaga
Kepa Arrizabalaga was Frank Lampard's first-choice goalkeeper (PA)The Chelsea goalkeeper claimed he was "lucky" to have Lampard as a coach in November 2019. He told SNTV, "He is a coach that was, and he is a legend in the club. He was a very important player during his football career.
"Now he is in his second year as a coach but he is sharing all his experience. Everything he knows about football, and everything he has lived, gave to Chelsea, and the titles he won with them like the Champions League, the Premier League and all the possible trophies. I am very lucky to have him as a coach."
Willy Caballero
Chelsea's second-choice stopper was also very complementary of Lampard. He told Chelsea's website in July 2019, "It’s been superb with Frank so far. The way he spoke to us on the first day was amazing and he’s been great so far.
"He told us how he wants us to play, his ideas, how he wants us to train and how much work we must put in to be successful.
"He explained what it means to play for Chelsea and we are all excited to work under him. He played at this club for a long time and won many trophies here, and he wants the same for us as players and for him as the head coach.
"We have to be ready to work hard, he’s told us that, and that we have a lot of talent in the squad. It’s an exciting time to be at the club."
Timo Werner
Werner admitted he felt "guilty" after Lampard got the sack. He told Sky Sports in February 2021, "When you come here to play as a striker and be the man to score the goals, of course I felt a little bit guilty that I missed so many chances.
"For the club, for the old manager but also for me because I want to score all the time and as much as I possibly can... if I'd scored four or five more goals maybe the old manager would still be here because we'd maybe have won two or three games more but you can't look too much into the past because there are too many games ahead of us.
"The past was like this and of course I feel a little bit guilty, but in football you have to go on, and now we have a lot of big games in the next few weeks and you have to look forward, especially when you have a new manager."
Willian
The Brazilian played alongside Lampard before the latter's move to Manchester City in the summer of 2014. After Lampard returned to take charge of the team, Willian told Sky Sports in October 2019, "He was an intelligent player, one of the best in his position.
"A quality player. "hen you see players like him you can say maybe in the future he can become a manager, and he's here with us! It's a bit weird he is my boss now, but I am very happy to work with him again. He has given me the confidence to play.
"He wants me to be happy. A part of the performances I have had in the past couple of games I have to dedicate to him. He always says to me, 'I want you to be happy'. That's why I have been playing like I have been."
Mason Mount
Mason Mount has been compared to Frank Lampard (Getty Images)The England international, who has been compared to Lampard, insisted there was "no better person to learn from than him" in September 2020. He told reporters, "I'm obviously talking to him every day, especially after the games – what I can do better, where I can make the runs and where I can get into the box.
"I'm always speaking to him and trying to learn things every day, mostly after training doing finishing. There is no better person to learn from than him."
Andreas Christensen
Christensen is no longer on the books at Chelsea following his move to Barcelona last summer but enjoyed his time playing under Lampard. He told the club's programme in April 2020, "It’s high-intensity, exciting football with a big focus on energy and movement.
"I think the energy in our game has definitely gone up a level this season. A lot of faces in the coaching team are familiar and it’s been great for the club, it’s a bit like the old times and everyone is enjoying working under Frank and his staff at Chelsea."
Reece James
The England international will be glad to see Lampard again. He told Bleacher Report in March 2020, "The minute I found out I was very grateful. It’s great to work under him. He understands the game as well. If you're doing well he'll tell you, if you're not, he'll make sure you know it and he'll show you how to improve.
"I've improved a ton under him... I think everyone that came in before didn’t have experience at the club. He came through and changed how we felt right away."
Emerson Palmieri
Lampard first managed Chelsea during the Covid pandemic and was played a big role in motivating his players, as Emerson told Globo Esporte at the time. He said, "During this time that we were not training, Lampard was a guy who cared a lot about us.
"Every week he had a meeting with the whole team, via the internet. He is a very open guy, always asking what we want, how we are feeling, and has always been by our side. This makes all the difference in the team's unity.
"For being a young guy, for being an ex-athlete, for knowing what it's like to be on this side, he always made us feel free to say what we wanted. And it helps a lot! There is no distance between coach and player, we are together in the same job, in the same team, and we always want to think the same."
Thiago Silva
Thiago Silva had mixed feelings when Frank Lampard was sacked (Popperfoto via Getty Images)The defender admitted he was 'sad' when Lampard was sacked but 'happy' with his replacement Tuchel. He told Chelsea's matchday programme in January 2021, "It’s been a tough week with the departure of one manager and the arrival of a new one.
"I have a really good relationship and get on well with them both. The six months I spent working with Frank were fantastic. And I had two unbelievable years with Tuchel in Paris too, including getting to the final of the Champions League."
Silva added, "It’s been a really unique week for me, different to anything I’ve experienced before, because when managers have changed before, the incoming coach has never been someone I’ve already worked with, who I already have such a good relationship with. It’s always been new managers who I’ve not worked with before.
"So I’m left with mixed feelings. Sadness for one, happiness for the other."
Christian Pulisic
The American gave a glowing review of Lampard's training sessions in January 2020. He told Sky Sports, "It's awesome, with me being a youngster as well. Being able to play with these guys and all learning together, and we have some more experienced players as well. It's a really great mix and it helps us to learn a lot and we push the old guys too!
"Obviously Lampard was a big player at Chelsea. I watched him growing up so finding out he was going to be my coach is pretty cool.
"It's been great. He's very intense, the training sessions are very intense too and I think that shows in our style of play - high pressing, hard to play against and that's what we want to be."
Kurt Zouma
Zouma believes one of Lampard's biggest strengths is his understanding of players. He told Canal Plus in November 2019, "He has no fear, he has no fear. He has given a lot of young players an opportunity. And it is working. He knows how to speak to them.
"He also knows that there are experienced players who are going to speak to the youngsters and give them advice. He is someone who is going to become a great coach.
"There are no doubts. He has only started coaching very recently, but it is going very well for him so far. And honestly all the success that he is having he deserves, because he works really hard, like he did as a player. We can see he does a lot of work in training."
Michy Batshuayi
The Belgian described Lampard as a "simple guy" during an interview with Chelsea's website in November 2019. He said, "He has been very involved, and put a lot of work in. He emphasises the defensive work and the physical work a lot, which has been very interesting for me.
"He’s a very simple guy. He doesn’t speak a lot. Sometimes when he wants to have a laugh he tells jokes, but he knows when he needs to be focused and when he wants to relax."
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