FRANK LAMPARD

In his prime, Lampard was the focal point of the Chelsea midfield, with his work-rate, range of passing and goalscoring ability seeing him finish runner-up in the Ballon d’Or and FIFA World Player of the Year awards in 2005.

One of many to emerge from the West Ham Academy, Lampard was signed by Chelsea in 2001 for £11 million. He quickly improved his all-round game to become one of the most consistent players in the top flight and became the top scoring midfielder in the club’s history.

Under Jose Mourinho he won back-to-back Premier League titles in 2005 and 2006 and was labelled ”the best in the world” by his manager. Arguably his greatest season came in 2009-10 when he helped Chelsea to the Double with a haul of 22 league goals.

However, as age has caught up with him, Lampard has had to adapt his game and, in the 2011-12 season, he was asked to adopt a more defensive role. Given greater responsibility after Roberto Di Matteo replaced Andre Villas-Boas, the midfielder played a key role in helping Chelsea to FA Cup and Champions League success.

Strengths: An incredibly consistent midfielder, Lampard hardly missed a Premier League game at his peak and had an unerring ability to score goals. While his physical capabilities have dwindled, he has shown himself to be an adaptable and highly intelligent player and is confident leading the team.

Weaknesses: He is no longer the player he used to be, and his lack of pace is a concern.

Career high: Captaining Chelsea to their first Champions League success in 2012.

Career low: Booed by the England fans on several occasions, he became a figure of abuse for his failure to dovetail with Steven Gerrard in the heart of midfield.

Style: An intelligent midfielder with good leadership skills.

Quotes: “After I finish I don’t want to be involved with football - not as a manager, coach, agent or in the media. I want to have a career after this. I don’t want this to be everything.Frank Lampard, August 2010.

Trivia: He is the son of Frank Lampard Senior, West Ham defender for nearly two decades and England international.