Football
ESPN staff 9y

Man City's Frank Lampard eyes future Chelsea role

Frank Lampard has told Sky Sports that Jose Mourinho and Chelsea are keen to take him "home" after his retirement.

On Saturday, Lampard will be heading back to Stamford Bridge in Manchester City colours as he looks to help his current club reduce Chelsea's five-point lead at the top of the Premier League.

The former England international spent 13 years at Chelsea and, although Mourinho has said it was "the right decision" to allow the midfielder to leave on a free transfer, the Portuguese is keen to see the 36-year-old back in West London in some capacity in the future.

Lampard told TV programme "Soccer AM": "Jose Mourinho and the club from the top have said they'll love for me to be involved, whenever I want to go back.

"Chelsea is like going back home and it feels such a big part of me. When you are part of Chelsea -- I've seen it with people like 'Chopper' Harris and Peter Bonetti -- they're still there to this day. It's a club that really looks after its players. If the opportunity was there to go back, I would love to, as I had such a long career there. It's a part of me, and that never changes."

Lampard, who scored the equaliser when City drew 1-1 with Chelsea at the Etihad Stadium earlier this season, said returning to his former stadium would be "really emotional."

He added: "It feels like coming home for me. London will always be my home, particularly the West London and Chelsea area. This game was always on the horizon for me and this week I've started getting texts and calls from people behind the scenes, from friends and fans.

"I can't wait to see those people at Chelsea. Everyone knows the rapport I had with the fans there, and I still do, but people like Alan Barrett, who works at the training ground, Frank Stier, Teresa, who works in the press room at Chelsea -- these are people I didn't get a real chance to say goodbye to.

"Thirteen years together, you make a lot of friends and create bonds with people. I'll look forward to that, but most of all stepping on that pitch and being in that stadium, which was my home for so long."

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