Former England midfielder has retired from football, after spending 21 years in the game. The 38-year-old spent the last year of his career playing in the USA for New York City FC, will be best remembered not for his England performances, but for becoming a stalwart at Chelsea during one of their most successful ever periods.
Throughout his time at Chelsea, Lampard played 649 times. During this time, he became the club’s highest ever goalscorer – a feat made even more impressive by the fact that he played in midfield – hitting the back of the net 211 times. While at Chelsea, he won the Premier League three times, as well as four FA Cup titles, the League Cups, the Community Shield, the Europa League, and the Champions League. Lampard was the captain on the night his team won Europe’s biggest domestic trophy, as they beat Bayern Munich in a penalty shoot-out.
Personal honours were also bestowed upon Lampard regularly, however his biggest achievements were probably finishing second to Ronaldinho in both the FIFA World Player of the Year awards and the Ballon d’Or. He was also voted as Chelsea’s player of the year on three separate occasions, and was also voted as the FWA Player of the Year in 2005 – an honour previously given to players such as Thierry Henry, Roy Keane and Alan Shearer.
Lampard didn’t spend his entire career with Chelsea though. He made his debut for West Ham in the 1997-98 season and then helped the team to finish fifth in the Premier League the next season – the club’s highest ever finish in the league. By 2011, he was regarded as one of the biggest talents in the country, prompting an £11m move to Chelsea. After Chelsea, he would sign for New York City FC, however returned to the Premier League on loan to play for Manchester City. Lampard would then play in New York for two seasons, and wasn’t initially popular with fans. He would prove an important player in his second season though, as his club reached the play-offs.
Lampard will also be remembered for the time he spent playing for England. He earned 106 caps for his country, and scored 29 goals, a tally that makes him England’s highest scoring midfielder of all time. He would play a part in every major tournament from Euro 2004 until the 2014 World Cup, before retiring from international duty in 2014.