Back at Stamford Bridge for his second tenure with the club, Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho has revealed that he persuaded the club's leading goal scorer Frank Lampard to extend his stay with the Blues.
Speculations of Lampard being closely linked to MLS were running rampage after the end of last season but the 35-year-old eventually decided to stick where he is most loved.
The Portugese has claimed that he played a key role in convincing the England international while being away at Madrid.
"At that time [last season] I was not in contact with the club," Mourinho told Sky Sports News. "I was only in contact with him as a friend because we kept contact all over these years. I was telling him, 'The way I know you - don't go to American soccer. You are a player who needs to compete every week at the highest level, you are a player that needs to be in real competition. If you go to the States, it's a fantastic country, football is coming up and you would be very important there. But if you go there you will not enjoy your life, and you have years to enjoy your life as a player.'
"So my opinion was not to go but try and stay at Chelsea. If Chelsea doesn't want you, then try and stay in the Premier League because you belong to high-level competition. He was telling me in the Premier League he doesn't want to play in any other club."
Comments
0 comment