Veteran England midfielder set to notch up 100 appearances admitting ultimate aim is to bow out at the World Cup.
Frank Lampard admits he will feel a sense of
vindication if he wins his 100th cap in England's crucial World Cup
qualifier against Ukraine on Tuesday.
Despite being one of the most successful
goalscoring midfielders English football has ever produced, Lampard, a
member of a generation of players regarded as underachievers at
international level, has not received universal acclaim.
Off the pitch he is intelligent, eloquent and
diplomatic; and on it he has scored a record 204 goals for Chelsea and
29 goals in 99 appearances for England. But all the same, there has been
plenty of criticism to deal with throughout his career.
Questions
As recently as last year there were
suggestions he was past his best as Chelsea stalled on offering the
35-year-old a new contract.
But Lampard responded in style, just as he had
done earlier in his England career when fans at Wembley booed him
during a particularly difficult time in 2007 - a time when the
midfielder admits he briefly considered retiring from international
football.
Earlier in his career it was even tougher,
coming through the ranks at West Ham where his father Frank Lampard
Senior was assistant manager and uncle Harry Redknapp the manager, and
where he suffered some terrible abuse from his own supporters at Upton
Park.
A YouTube video clip of a 1990s West Ham Fans
Forum that has recently found its way onto the internet underlines the
difficulties Lampard faced as he tried to make his way in the game.
The clip shows a young Lampard being angrily
harangued by one irate supporter, leading Redknapp to produce an
impassioned defence of his player, claiming he would one day become a
major star for England.
Redknapp has been proved right, but the experience still left a scar.
Perhaps those memories will come flooding back
when Lampard, currently on 99 caps for his country, steps onto the
field to complete his century in Kiev.
"It was difficult," said Lampard. "I'll never forget it actually, but I was surprised it popped up when it did recently.
"It was a tough time for me. Some people
forget that it was tough or they try to change history and say it wasn't
like that. But it was.
"I had the nepotism one thrown at me regularly there and as a kid I found it quite hard to deal with.
"Certainly that day I did. I watched it back
and not only my embarrassing haircut and my chubby face, but the whole
moment was brought back.
"I think Harry went out on a bit of a limb at
the time. Looking back, he made some big judgements there and was very
supportive of me.
"It's nice when people say things like that.
When you get a bit of stick and someone sticks up for you like that, I
suppose it makes you want to make them right and I'm pleased I did
because it looks great now when you look back, doesn't it?"
Work ethic
That steely determination, together with a
work ethic inherited from his father, has helped Lampard achieve more
than other arguably more naturally talented players of his generation.
"I am very thankful for my dad. He put that work ethic in me," Lampard said.
"That became ingrained in me. He probably bullied me into it a bit in younger years.
"I didn't always like it at the time. But I can't thank him enough for it now."
Lampard also admits if England, currently top
of Group H as they prepare to face third-placed Ukraine, reach the World
Cup in Brazil it is likely to be his farewell tournament.
"Realistically I think so," he said. "I don't want to say I will retire after that because then it is there waiting to happen.
"But young players are coming through and at 36 not too many players play on after that age."
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