Coventry City have officially announced the appointment of Frank Lampard as their new head coach on a two-and-a-half-year contract. The 46-year-old will take charge of the Sky Blues for the first time this Saturday in a home clash against Cardiff at the Coventry Building Society Arena. Joining Lampard’s coaching team will be Joe Edwards and Chris Jones, both of whom have worked alongside him in previous roles.
Lampard, a former Chelsea and Everton manager, has been out of work since May 2023 following the conclusion of his second managerial stint at Stamford Bridge. His arrival at Coventry follows the surprising dismissal of Mark Robins earlier this month. Robins, who had an impressive seven-year tenure with the Sky Blues, guided the club from League Two to a Championship play-off final and even reached the FA Cup semi-finals. His last victory came in a 3-0 win over Middlesbrough, after which Rhys Carr served as caretaker manager, notably leading the team to a spirited 2-2 draw against Sunderland.
Coventry’s owner and executive chairman, Doug King, expressed excitement about Lampard’s appointment, stating, “I am delighted that Frank Lampard has agreed to join our club as head coach. Frank cut his teeth in the Championship and knows what is needed in this league to be successful. His experiences at Chelsea and Everton will ensure he brings to our talented squad a clear understanding of exactly what is needed to succeed at the very top level that we as a club are striving to reach.”
Lampard’s managerial journey began in 2018 when he retired as a player and took charge of Derby County. In his debut season, he guided Derby to the Championship play-off final, where they narrowly lost to Aston Villa. His success at Derby earned him a move back to Chelsea, where he signed a three-year deal as manager. During his first season, he led Chelsea to a fourth-place Premier League finish and an FA Cup final, where they were defeated by Arsenal. However, inconsistent performances the following season saw Chelsea drop to ninth in the league, leading to his dismissal in January 2021.
After a brief hiatus, Lampard took over at Everton in 2022, helping the club avoid relegation in his first season. However, a poor run of form early in the following campaign resulted in his replacement by Sean Dyche. Lampard’s most recent managerial role came in April 2023 when he was reappointed by Chelsea as caretaker manager. Unfortunately, he won only one of his 11 games in charge before his tenure ended.
As a player, Lampard enjoyed a glittering 21-year career, becoming Chelsea’s all-time leading scorer with 211 goals in 648 appearances. He earned 106 England caps, placing him joint-seventh with Sir Bobby Charlton on the nation’s all-time appearances list. Now, Lampard begins a new chapter with Coventry, aiming to leverage his vast experience to push the club towards its ambitions.
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