Frank James Lampard, born 20 June 1978 is an English professional footballer who plays as an attacking midfielder for Chelsea and the England national team. He also holds the position of vice-captain for his club side.He is considered to be one of the best English footballers of his time, and is widely regarded to be one of the best midfield players of his generation. Lampard is best described as a box-to-box midfielder known for "his work-rate, range of passing and goalscoring ability.
Lampard began his career at West Ham United, for whom his father Frank Lampard, Sr. had also played. He had secured a place in the first team by the 1997–98 season, and the following year helped the team finish 5th in the Premier League, their highest-ever Premier League placing. In 2001, he moved to rival London club Chelsea for £11 million.
From his debut onwards he was ever-present in the Chelsea first team, setting a record 164 consecutive Premier League appearances. He established himself as a prolific scorer at the West London club and was a key part of the sides which won back-to-back Premier League titles in 2004–05 and 2005–06 and a domestic cup double in 2007. He signed a new contract in 2008, becoming the highest paid Premier League footballer at that time, and scored in his first Champions League Final that same year. He won the FA Cup for the second time in 2009, scoring the winning goal in the final. In the 2009–10 season, Lampard won the Premier League title and FA Cup (domestic cup double) and also had his most prolific season with Chelsea, scoring 22 league goals and 17 league assists. In the 2011-12 season, Lampard captained Chelsea to their first UEFA Champions League title.
A three-time Chelsea Player of the Year, Lampard is the club's third highest all-time goalscorer with 186 goals in all competitions. Lampard is also one of five players, and the only midfielder, to have scored 150 or more goals in the Premier League. He is second in the Premier League's all-time assists table with 91 assists. He has had over 1400 successful passes and 10 or more assists every season. In 2005, Lampard was runner-up in both the 2005 FIFA World Player of the Year and the 2005 Ballon d'Or. On 23 December 2009, he was named the Premier League's Player of the decade by official statistics.
In Chelsea's third Premier League match of the season, Lampard scored his first goal of the season and also provided an assist for José Bosingwa's opening goal, as Chelsea beat Norwich City 3–1.
After not featuring in Chelsea's 4–1 win against Swansea City on 24 September, Lampard returned to the starting lineup for their Champions League group stage game against Valencia netting an important opening goal in their 1–1 draw. Lampard continued his fine form by netting his fifth Chelsea hat-trick on 2 October, in a 5–1 thrashing of Bolton. In the eleventh round of the Premier League, Lampard scored the only goal of the match against Blackburn, with a diving header, giving Chelsea a win after two consecutive defeats. After starting the game against Manchester City on the bench, Lampard came on in the second half to score the winning goal from the penalty spot in the 82nd minute. Lampard again proved to be the match-winner again as he scored in the 89th minute against Wolves, with the match finishing 2-1 to Chelsea.
On 25 February 2012, Lampard scored his tenth league goal of the season in Chelsea's 3-0 win against Bolton, becoming the only player to score at least 10 goals in nine consecutive seasons in the Premier League and his 149th all time league goal.
Eleven days after the sacking of manager Andre Villas-Boas, Chelsea hosted Napoli in the 2011–12 UEFA Champions League Round of 16 second leg, trailing the Naples side 3-1 from the first leg. Lampard helped Chelsea make a remarkable comeback, assisting John Terry from a corner for the second goal and then equalizing the aggregate score from the penalty spot with a powerful shot to the left of the goal. Branislav Ivanović sealed Chelsea's victory in extra-time. In the second leg of the quarter-finals of the 2011–12 UEFA Champions League against Benfica, Lampard converted a crucial penalty to give Chelsea a 2-1 win at Stamford Bridge, and helping them advance with an aggregate score of 3-1.
He scored the 150th Premier League goal of his career against Fulham in a 1-1 draw on 9 April 2012.
In the 2012 FA Cup Final, Lampard assisted Didier Drogba's winning goal in 2-1 win over Liverpool FC, the seventh FA Cup in Chelsea's history as well as the fourth of his career
Lampard captained Chelsea in the 2012 UEFA Champions League Final against Bayern Munich, due to Terry's suspension. It was match where Chelsea were considered to be the underdogs. After finishing 1-1 in normal time, the game went to a penalty shootout with Lampard successfully converting his team's fourth spot-kick, helping Chelsea win 4-3 on penalties. As Chelsea's skipper for the match, Lampard lifted the trophy jointly with club captain John Terry.
Lampard ended the 2011-12 season as Chelsea's topscorer with 16 goals in all competitions, along with 10 assists.
From his debut onwards he was ever-present in the Chelsea first team, setting a record 164 consecutive Premier League appearances. He established himself as a prolific scorer at the West London club and was a key part of the sides which won back-to-back Premier League titles in 2004–05 and 2005–06 and a domestic cup double in 2007. He signed a new contract in 2008, becoming the highest paid Premier League footballer at that time, and scored in his first Champions League Final that same year. He won the FA Cup for the second time in 2009, scoring the winning goal in the final. In the 2009–10 season, Lampard won the Premier League title and FA Cup (domestic cup double) and also had his most prolific season with Chelsea, scoring 22 league goals and 17 league assists. In the 2011-12 season, Lampard captained Chelsea to their first UEFA Champions League title.
A three-time Chelsea Player of the Year, Lampard is the club's third highest all-time goalscorer with 186 goals in all competitions. Lampard is also one of five players, and the only midfielder, to have scored 150 or more goals in the Premier League. He is second in the Premier League's all-time assists table with 91 assists. He has had over 1400 successful passes and 10 or more assists every season. In 2005, Lampard was runner-up in both the 2005 FIFA World Player of the Year and the 2005 Ballon d'Or. On 23 December 2009, he was named the Premier League's Player of the decade by official statistics.
In Chelsea's third Premier League match of the season, Lampard scored his first goal of the season and also provided an assist for José Bosingwa's opening goal, as Chelsea beat Norwich City 3–1.
After not featuring in Chelsea's 4–1 win against Swansea City on 24 September, Lampard returned to the starting lineup for their Champions League group stage game against Valencia netting an important opening goal in their 1–1 draw. Lampard continued his fine form by netting his fifth Chelsea hat-trick on 2 October, in a 5–1 thrashing of Bolton. In the eleventh round of the Premier League, Lampard scored the only goal of the match against Blackburn, with a diving header, giving Chelsea a win after two consecutive defeats. After starting the game against Manchester City on the bench, Lampard came on in the second half to score the winning goal from the penalty spot in the 82nd minute. Lampard again proved to be the match-winner again as he scored in the 89th minute against Wolves, with the match finishing 2-1 to Chelsea.
On 25 February 2012, Lampard scored his tenth league goal of the season in Chelsea's 3-0 win against Bolton, becoming the only player to score at least 10 goals in nine consecutive seasons in the Premier League and his 149th all time league goal.
Eleven days after the sacking of manager Andre Villas-Boas, Chelsea hosted Napoli in the 2011–12 UEFA Champions League Round of 16 second leg, trailing the Naples side 3-1 from the first leg. Lampard helped Chelsea make a remarkable comeback, assisting John Terry from a corner for the second goal and then equalizing the aggregate score from the penalty spot with a powerful shot to the left of the goal. Branislav Ivanović sealed Chelsea's victory in extra-time. In the second leg of the quarter-finals of the 2011–12 UEFA Champions League against Benfica, Lampard converted a crucial penalty to give Chelsea a 2-1 win at Stamford Bridge, and helping them advance with an aggregate score of 3-1.
He scored the 150th Premier League goal of his career against Fulham in a 1-1 draw on 9 April 2012.
In the 2012 FA Cup Final, Lampard assisted Didier Drogba's winning goal in 2-1 win over Liverpool FC, the seventh FA Cup in Chelsea's history as well as the fourth of his career
Lampard captained Chelsea in the 2012 UEFA Champions League Final against Bayern Munich, due to Terry's suspension. It was match where Chelsea were considered to be the underdogs. After finishing 1-1 in normal time, the game went to a penalty shootout with Lampard successfully converting his team's fourth spot-kick, helping Chelsea win 4-3 on penalties. As Chelsea's skipper for the match, Lampard lifted the trophy jointly with club captain John Terry.
Lampard ended the 2011-12 season as Chelsea's topscorer with 16 goals in all competitions, along with 10 assists.
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