Frank Lampard admits he had mixed emotions after scoring a dramatic late equaliser for Manchester City in their 1-1 draw against his former club Chelsea on Sunday.
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The midfielder left Stamford Bridge this summer after 13 years and is the club's all-time record scorer with 211 goals, but came off the bench to deny Chelsea all three points late on.
Lampard refused to celebrate his strike and said after the match that he felt "stuck in the middle," having joined Chelsea's title rivals on loan from New York City this season.
"It's a really difficult one. I'd be unprofessional if I didn't come on and do my job," Lampard told Sky Sports. "So I just tried to get in the box. It was a great ball back from Millie [James Milner].
"It's a tough one for me. I had 13 amazing years with the Chelsea fans, so I'm mixed with it. But the team I play for got a draw."
Lampard's name was sung by the travelling fans when he come in the second half and he was afforded a standing ovation as he went over to thank them at the final whistle.
"I wish [I got to say goodbye to Chelsea] under better circumstances in front of the whole stadium." Lampard said. "This is a bit different, it's come up. But as I say, I'm professional and I'm at this club now.
"I'm a bit lost for words. I didn't expect to come on and score like that. I've come on and the Chelsea fans are signing and that's emotional, and I'm playing for this club who have taken me and that's brilliant as well. I'm really stuck in the middle here.
"The people behind the scenes at Chelsea, I still talk to a lot of them now. It's a very homely club and they've kept that nature. City, I'm finding, are exactly the same.
"This is the back end of my career and it's a short loan period. I've had 13 amazing years at Chelsea and I've come here and been welcomed. They're very similar and they're two massive clubs now.
"I woke up this morning and I didn't know what I wanted today. It was a tough one. I suppose this can be seen as a happy medium in the end.
"It's a long season and these two teams, plus others, will fight on and it will make for an interesting Premier League."
Lampard nearly even won the game for City, only for John Terry to block his late shot at goal.
"He's been doing that for years in training," Lampard added with a smile. "John blocks everything, that's the way he plays."