Blues legend gives revealing interview.
Manchester City midfielder Frank Lampard has revealed that he wanted to remain with Chelsea this summer, in a revealing interview with the Sun.
The Blues legend, who spent 13 years at Stamford Bridge, came to the end of his contract with the club at the end of last season before sealing a free transfer to MLS franchise New York City FC.
However, in a shock twist, the 36-year-old then made the loan move to Chelsea’s rivals Manchester City for the first half of this season in a bid to stay fit during the close season in the US.
Lampard has now explained that it was not his decision to leave Chelsea, and that he would have continued at the club if Jose Mourinho had offered him a new contract and promised him a key role in the first-team for this year.
However, the former England international has no regrets over his exit, stating that he is pleased to have gone out on a high with the club rather than slowly fading into the background and becoming a less influential member of the team.
Lampard added that he holds no bad feelings towards Mourinho or how his exit from the club was handled.
“I would have obviously stayed if Chelsea had offered me another year,” he said. “There was no reason for me to leave. Yes, I wanted to play a bit more regularly but I’m not stupid.
“If Chelsea had given me a new contract it would have been mad not to take it at the time. It wasn’t that I didn’t think I could still do it. If I felt like that I wouldn’t have gone to City on loan.
“I had a chat with Jose Mourinho and both he and the club were always great with me. The decision was made – and I don’t know who made it.
“Jose was brilliant about it. I didn’t walk out with any bad feelings towards him or the club. I knew things were coming to a head but I’m realistic and, in football, I move on quite quickly.
“I also felt like I didn’t want to be a player who faded away – with that being the last memory people had of me. So maybe it was the right time. Maybe it was right that the club took it out of my hands.”
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