Everton appoint Chelsea legend Frank Lampard as new manager

Chelsea legend Frank Lampard joined Everton FC as their manager, the Merseyside club announced on Monday.

Lampard has signed a two-and-a-half years contract – until June 2024 – and will take charge of the first team for the FA Cup fourth-round tie against Brentford at Goodison Park on Saturday (Feb. 5).

"It is a huge honour for me to represent and manage a club the size and tradition of Everton Football Club. I'm very hungry to get started. After speaking to the owner, Chairman and the Board, I very much felt their passion and ambition. I hope they felt my ambition and how hard I want to work to bring it together," Lampard told Everton's media.

After getting sacked by Chelsea as their head coach in the middle of the 2020-21 season, Lampard took a break for a year. In between, he was linked with another Premier League side Crystal Palace but he did not take up that job.

"You can feel the passion Everton fans have for their club. That will be hugely important. As a team – the competitive level that the Premier League brings and the position we are in the table – we certainly need that. It's a two-way thing. I think Everton is a unique club in that you can really understand what the fans want to see. The first thing they want is fight and desire and that must always be our baseline.

"My first message to the players will be that we have to do this together. We'll try to do our job and I know the fans will be there backing us," added Lampard in the same interview.

One of English football's most celebrated footballers, Lampard won three Premier League titles, four FA Cups, two League Cups, the Champions League and Europa League, while bagging 106 caps for his country in a decorated playing career.

Lampard began his managerial career with Championship club Derby County.

Everton Majority Shareholder, Farhad Moshiri, said, "I am really delighted that Frank has joined us. He is an impressive young man on and off the pitch. He has played at the very highest level of the game and has football in his blood. He impressed us all greatly during the thorough interview process and we're all ready to give him all of our support as he looks to give the team an immediate boost."

Everton Chairman Bill Kenwright said, "Frank impressed us greatly throughout our process, coming across as a modern, ambitious and exciting young manager. He expressed a clear vision on how he wants to take the club forward and, importantly, a tremendous passion and genuine enthusiasm to join us.

I'm sure Evertonians will give him the special welcome that only they can and will be looking forward to giving him and his coaching staff a warm Goodison welcome next weekend."

Lampard has replaced Rafa Benitez as Everton's boss. The Goodison Park side has had a poor run in the 2021-22 campaign as they are currently placed 16th in the Premier League points table, two places shy of relegation.