Frank Lampard says his turbulent spell in charge of Everton has made him a better manager as he prepares to return to the dugout for his second stint as Chelsea boss. The 44‑year‑old, who is Chelsea’s record goalscorer, previously managed the club from July 2019 until January 2021, when Thomas Tuchel replaced him. Lampard’s unexpected return to Stamford Bridge as caretaker manager until the end of the season came after Graham Potter was dismissed on Sunday, with Chelsea sitting in the bottom half of the Premier League.
Lampard lost his job as manager of struggling Everton in January, despite having saved the club from relegation the previous season. He said the 12 months at Goodison Park taught him valuable lessons. “I’ve definitely changed since the first spell at Chelsea,” he told reporters ahead of the team’s match at Wolves on Saturday. “I took some things that I changed on to Everton. ‘Evolve’ is probably a better word. I’ve always been very, very open to listening, to looking, to learning and reflecting. I’m certainly not a person who sits here and says ‘I’ve got all the answers.’ There are things I look back on where I think I’ve maybe improved. The results will always be in how I perform here and how I can affect the players now.”
Lampard hinted that he would be interested in staying in the Chelsea job beyond the end of the season. The club has reportedly held talks with former Barcelona and Spain coach Luis Enrique and has made contact with ex‑Bayern Munich coach Julian Nagelsmann as they search for a permanent replacement for Potter. Lampard’s tenure will likely be judged on how Chelsea fare in the Champions League, where they face European champions Real Madrid in Spain in the first leg of their quarter‑final next week. Lampard, who was a key member of the side that beat Bayern on penalties in the 2012 final in Munich, believes his history with the club will be an asset as they chase a third Champions League success. “Every job is a challenge,” he said. “I’m connected to the club, I understand that element of it.”
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