Lampard Aiming For Long-Term Chelsea Stay
Frank Lampard says he is hoping to remain Chelsea manager for a long time after former teammate Branislav Ivanovic earmarked him as a future England boss.
Lampard has emerged as one of England’s brightest young managers since cutting his managerial teeth at championship side Derby County two years ago.
After taking the Rams to the cusp of Premier League promotion, Lampard returned to Chelsea last season and guided his former side to a top four finish as well as an appearance in the FA Cup final despite operating in challenging circumstances.
The 42-year-old has further enhanced his reputation this term, with Chelsea sitting prettily in third place on the league table and into the knockout stages of the Champions League in convincing fashion.
"I've got 18 months left [on his contract] and I feel, and I felt it when I came to the club, that there were lots of circumstances at the beginning that were going to make last year transitional, maybe slightly difficult," Lampard told a media conference ahead of Chelsea's Premier League clash with Leeds United on Saturday.
"I thought it was a success. Now I feel like I'd love to be part of the long-term plan here.
"The signings we made in the summer, other than perhaps Thiago [Silva], were signings for now and the future; players who are going to progress and going to mature.
"Of course, I'd love to be part of that and, of course, that's the club's and the owner's decision first and foremost.
"I'm a lucky man to be managing the club I love, and it's my life. So, of course, I want to make a success of it and be here as long as I can.
"I would like to do this job as long as possible but I'm also very aware that it is results based.
"At the minute I think we're working towards something and people are getting very excited and mentioning us being in the title race this year.
"I always saw it as a longer plan than that. It might take until next year for us to really challenge because of the signings and because of the bedding-in process.
"What we're doing at the moment is getting people excited, but I know we need to be consistent over the course of the season."
"I appreciate Branislav's words," he added. "He's a good friend and I appreciate the positive wording.
"It's certainly not anything that is on my short-term radar. I'm very patriotic, I loved playing for my country, but at the moment my focus is on doing the best thing here.
"I appreciate it and if there was ever an opportunity later on down the line, it's certainly something I would look at, but you should never get too far down the line in this job."
