As he returns to the dugout for his second stint as Chelsea manager, Frank Lampard claims his tumultuous time as Everton's manager improved him.
Chelsea's all-time leading scorer, Lampard, led the Stamford Bridge team from July 2019 to January 2021, when Thomas Tuchel took over as manager.
After Graham Potter was fired on Sunday, with the team in the bottom half of the Premier League, the 44-year-old unexpectedly returned to Stamford Bridge as short-term manager until the end of the season.
After saving them from relegation the previous season, Lampard was fired as manager of struggling Everton in January. Still, he claimed to have gained wisdom from his time at Goodison Park.
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In the days leading up to the team's match at Wolves on Saturday, he declared, "I've definitely changed (since my first stint at Chelsea)."
"I brought specific changes I made to Everton.
A better term is "you evolve. I have always been incredibly open to looking, listening, learning, and reflecting. I certainly don't sit here and claim to have all the solutions.
There are several things I reflect on and believe I have gotten better at. The outcomes will always depend on my performance here and my ability to influence the players immediately.
Lampard suggested he might be open to going on as Chelsea's manager after the current campaign.
The club is thought to have met with former Barcelona and Spain coach Luis Enrique and contacted former Bayern Munich coach Julian Nagelsmann as they search for a long-term replacement for Potter.
Chelsea's performance in the Champions League, where they will play Real Madrid in the opening leg of their quarterfinal next week, will largely determine how Lampard's tenure is seen.
Lampard had a significant role in the team that defeated Bayern on penalties in the 2012 Champions League final in Munich, and he thinks his history with the team will help them in their quest for a third title.
Every work presents challenges, he declared. "I'm affiliated with the club, so I know that part of it."