Frank Lampard said he isn’t disappointed not to have been given a Premier League job after he was named as Coventry City’s new manager.
Lampard has been out of management for 18 months since the end of his second spell at Chelsea but signed a two-and-a-half year contract at Coventry, who sit 17th in the Championship after dismissing long-serving manager Mark Robins.
Lampard also said he had rejected several opportunities to get back in the game, both in England and abroad, ultimately deciding to go back to the Championship.
His first job as a manager came in that division, taking Derby to the playoff final in 2019 where they were beaten by Aston Villa.
“I’m not disappointed [not to have got a Premier League job],” Lampard told the media at his introductory press conference at Coventry. “This is a business where jobs that have become available are very well pushed for by a lot of good coaches out there that want to work. You can never gauge who may get given a job.
“I’ve had different opportunities [since leaving Chelsea] that I have turned down that I didn’t want to do as well. I’ve been offered opportunities abroad, which I haven’t wanted to do. This was the right opportunity for me.
“This has come along, and I’m more happy with what this opportunity is for me.
“I’ve got no ego that needs to take me to the Premier League. I’m very happy to work with people to try and make this club better. I want Coventry fans to be happy with the club that I produce.”
Lampard’s last job was as Chelsea’s interim manager after they dismissed Graham Potter in April 2023, until they appointed Mauricio Pochettino that summer, a spell that he described as less of a coaching job and more akin to a “holding the baby” task.
“I went into a job that was a bit like babysitting for me. I learned a lot – not on coaching terms, it wasn’t a coaching job, it was a holding-the-baby job while the transition was happening. I learned that if you don’t get the environment right, then it’s very difficult to succeed, and Chelsea in that moment was in transition.
“Now, as I think you can see the environment is changing there and you can see the results of that.”
GO DEEPER
Lampard named new Coventry City manager
(Matthew Lewis/Getty Images)