Frank Lampard has described his interim managerial spell at Chelsea as a “babysitter” after being unveiled as Coventry City’s new boss.
The former England international is he returns to the Championship with the Sky Blueshaving last been employed as interim boss at Stamford Bridge following the sacking of Graham Potter in 2023.
Lampard could only win one of the 11 games Chelsea ended up finishing the season in 12th place, having finished third the previous campaign under Thomas Tuchel. But he had plenty of players to preside over as new owner and president Todd Boehly began signing young stars in the pools.
The 46-year-old revealed: “When I rejoined Chelsea I went into a job that was a bit of a babysitter for me, in terms of accompanying them for seven weeks.
“And I learned a lot, not in terms of coaching because it wasn’t a coaching job, but keeping the baby’s job while transitioning. I learned that if you don’t have the right environment, it’s very difficult to be successful.” .
Lampard had been in charge of Chelsea from 2019 until January 2021, being a transfer embargo and give opportunities to several young players in West London. He then helped Everton avoid relegation in the 2021/22 season, but was sacked a year after his appointment.
His latest job is tough, with pre-season promotion hopes Coventry in 17th place in England’s second tier after losing eight of their first 17 Championship games.
He added: “I’m motivated, I like to prove people wrong. I did that a lot in my playing career. As a manager you know you’re going to have to prove someone wrong, it doesn’t matter if it’s me or Pep. Guardiola
“We have to live in a world of highlights when you’re a head coach, but if you don’t want to, don’t sign up.”
