Frank Lampard admits taking Coventry job is ‘risk’ but he is ready for challenge

Frank Lampard admits his return to coaching is a “risk” but he feels refreshed and ready for the challenge after being named head coach at Coventry.

The 46-year-old has signed a two-and-a-half-year deal to succeed Mark Robins, who was sacked after seven years in charge of the Sky Bet Championship Sky Blues.

Lampard has returned to work for the first time since leaving Chelsea in May 2023 following a spell in caretaker charge – he previously took Derby to a play-off final before going to the Premier League where he took Chelsea to an FA Cup final and avoided relegation with Everton.

He will stand in the dugout for the first time in 18 months when Coventry take on Cardiff at the Coventry Building Society Arena on Saturday, giving the home fans an opportunity to welcome their new boss.

Following more than a year off, Lampard insists he feels fresh again.

He said: “It’s a very consuming business being a manager or a head coach.

“I enjoy that side of it but work-life balance being out of the game other than being asked when I’m getting back in it, you can try and spend some valuable family time and learning time, seeing the game from the outside.

“That’s been a nice period but I feel refreshed and ready to go and very happy to be here.

“Some say you don’t need to (get back into football) but when you live something and go into coaching, you start again in certain ways.

“When you are interested in something and want to get better, for me I can’t turn that off so I’ve had a nice time out of the game but want to get back into something I love doing, I love coaching players and the idea of giving fans an exciting team to watch.

“It is a risk in this job. In this modern world, everyone can have an opinion, I wouldn’t expect any opinion on a manager to be universal. We have to live in a world of spotlight, if you don’t want it then don’t sign up for it.

“If you’re not brave enough to take that, don’t worry, sit at home and play golf. I like to work.”

The decision to sack Robins came as a surprise to many and did not go down well with the Coventry supporters after Lampard’s predecessor took the club from League Two to the Championship, including a play-off semi-final last season.

Asked whether his job will be harder as he follows someone who was so successful, Lampard said he does not think so.

He said: “I’ve got complete respect for the job Mark did here.

“To be here for such along time and have the success and momentum with the club is a huge thing.

“I’d like to look at it where I can pick up the good work in his own way. I can only think of it as a good thing to come into a job off the back of someone who has laid foundations.

“I want to come here work hard and give my best for the club.”

Lampard’s first job in management was in the Championship with Derby where he took the club to the brink of promotion before losing 2-1 in the play-off final to Aston Villa.

Fast forward five and a half years and Lampard has gone back to the Championship, a league he admits he loves, and he is willing to learn from prior experience.

He added: “I love the Championship, loved my time at Derby, the up-and-down nature of the league.

“I want to enjoy my time here, I know what I’m walking into, this will be a challenge and there’s things I don’t know today that I will tomorrow.

“I know things I did right when I was really naive in the early days at Derby that I would still do now – I know things I thought I was getting right that I maybe got wrong.

“I might have a relatively short managerial span of experience but it’s taken me to a lot of places.”