HAMMERS FAN MADE ME STAY
Frank Lampard's unlikely source of inspiration
IT was the letter Frank Lampard never expected to receive.
There, among the thousands of condolence messages which flooded into Chelsea’s Cobham HQ, was a note from a West Ham fan begging him to stay strong after the untimely death of his mother, Pat.
For Lampard, it simply underlined why he should stay in England, close to his family and in a culture more supportive than Italy ever could provide.
Even with former Blues manager Jose Mourinho willing to welcome him with open arms and provide a safe haven at Inter Milan, the England star knew he had no other option but to sign the new five- year deal Chelsea were offering.
It’s no surprise Lampard felt cynical about the English game.
Mercilessly taunted by Hammers fans despite never letting the club down, jeered by the same England faithful who had previously voted him their player of the year.
And even doubted by Chelsea supporters who claimed he was holding Stamford Bridge to ransom, Italy could have been a refuge.
Instead, Lampard was touched by the show of support after Pat succumbed to pneumonia at the end of last season.
He claimed: “The letters I’ve received have been totally overwhelming. Thousands have been sent to the training ground from Chelsea fans, people also sent me poems from Ireland.
“I’ve had letters from all sorts of people who’ve suffered and that helps me even more.
“It’s also important that I say I had lots of correspondence from Liverpool, Manchester United and West Ham fans.
Important
“That was a breath of fresh air for me, because sometimes football can make you cynical about each other and you forget about the real things which matter.
“When I got a letter from a West Ham fan sending his condolences, and speaking in a certain way, it made me realise what’s important.
“Sometimes you can relate more to those who’ve been through a similar thing to yourself. It made me realise I was in the right environment.”
As he prepares for another assault at glory in four competitions after last May’s Champions League final heartbreak — starting at home to Portsmouth this afternoon — Lampard has promised to reply to every message.
He said: “I’ve read every single letter and I’m in the process of getting back to them all. It’s taking a bit of time but I wanted to write a note to each person.
“It was very important because even though I was down when I read the letters, and they made me feel even more down for a few seconds, they helped.”
Lampard was also lured away from Inter’s overtures in the three weeks he spent getting to know new boss Luiz Felipe Scolari on Chelsea’s pre-season world jaunt.
Long conversations with the Brazilian, in the Far East and in Moscow, convinced Lampard Chelsea were being set up with his attacking instincts in mind.
Far from being replaced by Deco, Scolari insisted the Portuguese playmaker had been signed to complement Lampard.
As Scolari admitted: “Deco was my first choice. When I signed my contract I told Roman Abramovich I wanted one player, Deco.
“I said that if he wanted us to win we needed this man. He is the player who is different and who gives the team balance.”
With Didier Drogba still struggling for fitness, Scolari is expected to rely on Nicolas Anelka on his own up front.
And Anelka sprang to mind as Scolari spoke of his plans to bring sports mind guru, Professor Regina Brandao, to Chelsea.
Scolari worked with her in club football and as Portugal boss.
He explained: “I’ve sent her technical information about the team but I feel it’s important the players talk with her in London.
“Anelka is too shy and quiet and I want him to be more aggressive and explosive.
“But because he is timid, sometimes he accepts things and I want to change his mind.”
