Frank Lampard has revealed limitations on his coaching staff had contributed his decision not to contact John Terry about joining his backroom team at Chelsea last season.
Lampard made a shock return as Chelsea boss for the final weeks of the season, following Graham Potter’s sacking. Former Blues captain John Terry recently admitted he would have ‘loved a call’ from Lampard to join his former team-mate’s coaching staff.
The pair had enjoyed success together on the pitch, winning three Premier Leagues, four FA Cups and a Champions League in their 14 seasons together with the Blues. Lampard told John Obi Mikel’s ‘Obi One’ podcast that he had been asked to bring two coaching staff with him to the club and loyalty to his existing team meant Terry missed out on a call.
‘They wanted me to bring in two staff. Anyone who works in this game will know that when you are bringing in staff it is a big question, who are your staff and how many do you want to bring.
‘I have the upmost respect for JT on every level, so in terms of the club asking John that’s not for me to answer,’ Lampard said. ‘In terms of me, the club came to me and it happened very quickly. The first time they came to me I probably had about a day to say yes or no.
‘I had been at Chelsea before that, Derby, Chelsea and Everton working with my staff. I ended up bringing in three as Ashley [Cole] came in to do set pieces for me at Everton. ‘The people I was working with were Chris Jones and Joe Edwards, so there was nowhere for me to go.’
Lampard’s interim spell proved a challenging one, with Chelsea winning just one of his 11 matches in charge. The 45-year-old saw his side suffer eight defeats at the end of a dismal season for the club. Lampard has insisted that Terry should currently be the manager of a team, highlighting his experience of managing the Chelsea dressing room as a captain.
‘I have the upmost respect for John. He should be the manager of a football club right now, because of what he has done in his career, not just played but also how he managed people around him, the club,’ Lampard said.
Terry recently revealed he interviewed for the Newcastle job after leaving Aston Villa as assistant coach, a role that ultimately went to Eddie Howe. He added that he was turned down for two jobs in League One, claiming that the owners of both told him they wanted to play like Man City.
‘When I went back I respect the people I have worked with for the last few years and worked closely with. ‘I would happily work with John. He would be a great influence on players.’
