Lampard keeps on running

By Trevor Haylett

It is not just his goals and laser-propelled passes that help Frank Lampard stand apart from less celebrated midfield players in the Premiership. The Chelsea FC star can also call upon vast reserves of stamina and endurance and last weekend it enabled him to set a new record for consecutive league appearances.

New record
Against Tottenham Hotspur FC on Sunday he made it 114 Premiership games in succession, beating the previous record set by team-mate Wayne Bridge while playing for Southampton FC. Not surprisingly it has earned him rave notices from both his club and international managers.

Silverware needed
New Chelsea coach José Mourinho is delighted to be able to call on a player whose enthusiasm and effort remains undimmed despite the heavy workload placed upon him. Yet Mourinho believes he will never be fully appreciated until Lampard puts some serious silverware on his sideboard.

Key strengths
"He is really strong mentally and physically and he loves to play," Mourinho said of the player Chelsea signed from West Ham United FC in the summer of 2001. "It's a fantastic record, especially for a midfielder who has to have more miles in his legs than a striker or defender. He runs 12 to 13km every match. Multiply that by 114 and you see he is like a big engine, a very special car."

Trophy hunt
The Portuguese coach concluded: "He really is one of the best players in the world but he needs to do something big with England or Chelsea - to win a trophy. When the big thing arrives, that is when people will say he is one of the best players in the world."

Deco's example
Mourinho cited his old FC Porto charge Deco as an illustration, saying: "Deco was last season elected the best player in the [UEFA] Champions League and he is one of the favourites for the  European Footballer of the Year. The season before he was much better than last season. Do you know why he got awards last season? Because he was a European champion. For these big awards the club's success is absolutely crucial. For Lamps success is absolutely crucial."

Five in eight
Five goals in his last eight internationals have ensured that Lampard is one of the first names on Sven-Göran Eriksson's teamsheet and after a successful season helping Chelsea reach the Champions League semi-finals and finishing Premiership runners-up, he went on to sparkle for England at UEFA EURO 2004™.

New contract
Not surprisingly his club were anxious to tie him to a new contract and during the summer he finally agreed a five-year deal. Now, having set the new appearance record, he is looking to extend it a good bit further.

'Very proud'
"I'm very proud of the achievement, it's nice to do it at a club like Chelsea where there's a lot of competition for places" Lampard said. "It's been very difficult to stay in the team, particularly over the last 18 months, and both Claudio Ranieri and José Mourinho have shown good faith in me.

Lampard's aims
"At this club you're doing well if you can keep your place for 14, never mind 114 games, and hopefully I can keep going and extend the record," concluded Lampard. "It's a long season and you've got to be lucky with injuries, but if I keep my form up I'll stay in the team."