Chelsea midfielder Frank Lampard has admitted that he was close to leaving the club last Summer, but only in favour for a move abroad.
The England international’s future was up in doubt nearing the end of last season, despite some impressive performances including several goals, and although he was scoring frequently, club owner Roman Abramovich was still not ready to offer the 35-year-old a new deal.
However, that all changed when Jose Mourinho came back to Stamford Bridge, and after his return, a 12-month extension was offered to Lampard and he remained a Chelsea player, but he has revealed that a move abroad was on the cards at one point.
‘Yes, there was [a genuine possibility of leaving] because at one stage I was out of contract and I wasn’t going to get a new one,’ he told FourFourTwo.
‘It was the first time I had been in that situation, so I had to open my eyes to going elsewhere. But I didn’t want to leave because I still have a lot to offer.
‘If I had left I would have gone abroad, I just can’t imagine myself playing for another Premier League team after such a long career at Chelsea.’
Lampard and his fellow team-mates John Terry and Ashley Cole will be in the same position this year due to only being offered 12-month extensions due to their age.
Written by Alex Batt – @AlexBatt – @AlexsArticles
