Frank Lampard Bio Send To Friend  

Lampard remains a firm favourite at Stamford Bridge and his eye for goal, attacking influence and deadball ability make him one of the best midfielders around at domestic and European level.

Destined to stay Stamford Bridge until 2013 after signing a new contract in August 2008, his future seemed to lie away from the club. Inter Milan and former boss Jose Mourinho seemed set to lure him to Italy yet Lampard chose to continue his hugely successful stay at Chelsea, where he remains a popular player.

Lampard first rose through the ranks at West Ham United with his father Frank Lampard Snr part of the backroom staff. He made his debut for West Ham on the final day of 1995-96 aged 17.

The midfielder gradually became more important to the Hammers and by 1997-98 was a first team regular despite still being a teenager. Lampard's performances gained the attention of the England coaching staff, and he made his full debut against Belgium in October 1999.

He left West Ham in the summer of 2001 after his father, along with manager Harry Redknapp, had also departed. He moved across London to join Chelsea for £11m.

At the time many laughed at Chelsea's decision to spend such a vast amount of money on him, but it would turn out to be one of the all-time bargains. After impressive start to the 2003-04 season he regained his place in the national squad and scored his first international goal as England beat Croatia 3-1 in a friendly at Portman Road in August.

It was that same season that Lampard truly began to come of age. He would win numerous plaudits for his energetic displays in the Chelsea midfield. And, amid the uncertainty caused by the influx of Chelsea's expensive summer signings after Roman Abramovich arrived at the Bridge, it was Lampard who blossomed to be the only ever present in 2003-04.

Lampard bagged three goals in four games at Euro 2004 as England reached the quarter-finals, cementing a place in the starting line-up.

That form was followed by a superlative 2004-05 season and earned him the Football Writers' Player of the Year Award. And he underlined that by finishing second to Barcelona's Ronaldinho in both the European and World Player of the Year awards.

After helping Chelsea to consecutive Premiership titles, Lampard had a woeful 2006 World Cup - where he was criticised for failing to dovetail with Steven Gerrard. However, he bounced back and won the FA Cup in 2007; while in February 2008, Lampard became the eighth Chelsea player to score 100 goals for the club.

His importance to Chelsea was evident when he signed a new five-year contract with the club in August 2008, making him the highest-paid Premier League player at the time and he won the Chelsea Player of the Year at the end of the season, scoring the winning goal in the club's FA Cup final win over Everton.

Consistent and vital to the club's spine, he will long remain a Chelsea idol, cemented in history as the top scoring midfielder in Chelsea's history. Whether or not his international career is remembered as a success or not remains to be seen.