Jimmy-Floyd Hasselbaink feels his old Chelsea teammate has what it takes to be a good manager as he embarks on his debut season in the dugout
Taken in isolation, Jimmy-Floyd Hasselbaink’s description of Frank Lampard as a player without an awe-inspiring skill could be interpreted as an insult. When Hasselbaink thinks back to the youngster who joined him at Chelsea in 2001, he recalls a footballer with a good shot, decent technique and some pace. “He tackled alright,” the Dutchman says. “I think if you look at his abilities, there was nothing really outstanding.”
Hasselbaink, however, is in the middle of paying Lampard a glowing compliment. The point he wants to get across is how hard Derby County’s new manager worked to become one of the finest footballers of his generation. “Everything together made him an exceptional player,” the former Chelsea striker says. “He came from West Ham and we had some big names in the team, but it didn’t faze him. He wanted to show he was worth the money. Mentally, he was one of the strongest players ever. Nothing really knocked him back. That will be a good asset for him as a manager. You have to have a thick skin.”
Written by Jacob Steinberg
This news first appeared on https://www.theguardian.com/football/2018/aug/02/frank-lampard-derby-manager under the title “The making of Frank Lampard: why Derby manager can be a success”. Bolchha Nepal is not responsible or affiliated towards the opinion expressed in this news article.
