Lampard: "I DID want to leave Chelsea"

[chrismada9 1,948]

Frank Lampard has admitted he was "looking to move" away from Chelsea at one stage last summer following the death of his mother Pat.

The England midfielder was strongly linked with a switch to Inter Milan, now coached by former Blues boss Jose Mourinho, as his contract negotiations went unresolved last summer.

Lampard eventually committed his future to Chelsea but admits he had wanted to leave at one stage.

"Last season, I was in a daze, I couldn't think of anything else and, strangely, that makes it easier to play because you have a one track mind, no highs and lows.

"At one time last summer I was looking to move," he said.

"I just couldn't accept the idea of playing at Chelsea without looking up and seeing Mum in the stand. Even now it is a huge gap in my life and very hard to handle.

"There were a lot of things that we used to do together, go to Harrods for tea, go to a certain restaurant, so suddenly there were shops I couldn't walk into, all sorts of things from which I needed to get away. I thought: "I can't live like this; I've got to leave London.

"That wasn't the answer, though.

"No disrespect to Inter Milan, they are a great club and everybody knows what I think of Jose Mourinho, but if I had gone it would have been for the wrong reasons. It would have been because of Mum."

----------------------------------------------

http://www.sportinglife.com/football/transfer_centre/

----------------------------------------------

[BlueLion. 21,491]

I'm glad he stayed, for obvious reasons, but we all know how hard it is to think straight about life when someone so close to us is taken away. Either way I'd have respected his decision, but I feel he made the right one staying.

[TylerCFC 7]

One question, why bring this up before maybe our biggest match of the year?

[misschief 24]

It wasnt that he deliberately brought up the subject of wanting to leave, but its obviously a subject he's pressed on in interviews. I have to say I fucking hated him during the summer, I thought he'd taken the right piss out of us over his contract. Having sat and read through the whole interview though, I can see where he was coming from. And I love that he hates the dippers so much.

[Laylabelle 9,411]

But he didnt so yay

[Drogba11CFC 108]

Plus the Telegraph today has rated him better than Gerrard.

[Laylabelle 9,411]

Plus the Telegraph today has rated him better than Gerrard.

OMFG?!Seriously?!Hahaha

[Drogba11CFC 108]

More goals, more assists, and a better penalty success rate:

Goals: Gerrard 56-80 Lampard

Assists: Gerrard 46-59 Lampard

Penalty success rate: Gerrard 77%-92% Lampard

[Kez 2,727]

Fair enough to the man his head must of been all over the place after the death of his mum.

But at the end of the day he made the right decision and he's better than ever.. and he IS better than Gerrard

The records speak for themselves

[DannyANF 0]

Glad that he stayed, its understandable that he felt that way after his moms death. And yes, way better than Gerrard.

[Steve 10,227]

At the end of the day he made the right decisision to stay with the club. If he had of gone frank would of got even more stick than what he already does from the english fans. But we all understand what he was going through with his mum and i could not imagine how hard it would be too live without my mum i would go nuts.