Friday, 6th June, 2014



Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho has insisted Frank Lampard will return to the club in some capacity in the future.

The England international, who amassed 626 appearances for the Blues, scoring 211 goals and providing 152 assists, revealed earlier in the week he was not going to extend his 13-year stay at Stamford Bridge.




And Mourinho admitted that it was a difficult decision for the 35-year-old to put an end to his glittering playing career at Chelsea.

However, the Portuguese tactician was quick to add that Lampard’s career at Chelsea is not finished as he explained that everyone associated with the club, including himself, wants the midfielder to return in some capacity.

relatedNewsStory

"It's not the end of Frank's career at Chelsea – it's just a little break", Mourinho was quoted as saying by FIFA’s official site.

"It's the end of his career as a Chelsea player, but he will be back for many, many years because he's one of the most important players in the club's history. You can't imagine how difficult it was for him to leave.

"I think only he knows because we spoke – not by phone, in person – but at the same time I can feel some happiness about the process because for sure he comes back to Chelsea one day. For sure.

“Everybody wants it, Mr Abramovich – the number one, the most important person – very much wants Frank to be back, I want him to be back, the staff want him back, so he comes back for sure.

"And the other thing is that he can come back the way he wants. Mr Abramovich has left the door completely open for him on the understanding Frank can do anything he wants at this club.

“He can try things, feel where he is better suited, we can feel as a club where he can give us more, but he can come back when he wants and, to repeat Mr Abramovich's words, the way he wants.

"He can be a coach, he can start at the academy, he can start being my assistant at the same time because he is doing his coaching badges, or he can start in a different role.

“He can decide in this moment whether he wants to start immediately in a coaching role, or if he wants to be an ambassador, representing the club in important places of our life – he can do what he wants."

Don't bet on football until you've visited Inside Bet! Interesting markets, top tips, betting facts – get all the info before you bet.