Former Chelsea striker Didier Drogba said he was delighted Frank Lampard was “coming back home” after he was confirmed as the new manager at Stamford Bridge.
Lampard, who won three Premier League titles and one Champions League alongside Drogba at Chelsea, was finally unveiled as Maurizio Sarri’s successor by the London club on Thursday morning, joining from Derby on a three-year contract.
Writing on Instagram, Drogba said: “Good luck, proud to see you coming back home @franklampard”
That sentiment was echoed by Michael Essien, another member of the 2011-12 Champions League winning squad.
He wrote: “Proud to see you coming back home @franklampard, Good luck and all the best @chelseafc .Come On Blues”
Drogba and Essien were joined by another of Lampard’s old Chelsea team-mates, Mario Melchiot, in wishing the new boss well, as the former Holland full-back tweeted: “Welcome back Frank!”
Match of the Day host Gary Lineker urged Chelsea fans not to be too concerned about 41-year-old Lampard’s relative inexperience.
He tweeted: “Congratulations to Frank Lampard with his appointment at @ChelseaFC. Lack of experience won’t be an issue. If you’ve got it, you’ve got it, and I suspect Frank has it. Wish him well.”
When challenged by a follower who suggested the appointment was the result of nepotism, he added: “Nepotism? He performed brilliantly for the club for years. Im sure some said the same about Guardiola when he got the Barcelona job. As I said, you either have it or you don’t, and we’ll find out if Frank does soon enough.”
Lampard entered management last year, spending a year at Championship Derby and guiding them to a sixth-place finish and a play-off final, where they were beaten by Aston Villa.
