Frank Lampard has admitted that his spell in charge of Chelsea FC provided him with “huge experience” despite his sacking earlier this year.
The former England midfielder was sacked by the Blues back in January after the south west London side had struggled to find consistent form in the Premier League.
Thomas Tuchel was immediately brought in as Lampard’s successor at Stamford Bridge and the German head coach had an instant impact, steering the Blues towards a top-four finish and Champions League glory.
Lampard guided Chelsea FC to a fourth-placed finish and the FA Cup final during his first season in charge of the club, but the Blues struggled to deliver on expectations in his second campaign in charge.
Having now had some time to reflect on his exit, Lampard insists that he is grateful for the experience and says he has taken lots of positives from his time in charge of the Blues.
Speaking on BBC Sport on Sunday, Lampard said: “Obviously, you never want to lose your job, I’m in pretty good company at Chelsea, it happens, it’s the brutal reality of football at the top level.
“With reflection, it’s been nice to spend some time out of the game.
“I’m pretty proud of the job I did, it was an honour to manage the club. I came in at a tough time with the [transfer] ban and loss of Eden Hazard.
“Worked really hard in year one to get into the Champions League and Mason [Mount] and people like that, developing young players was a huge deal for me.
“I’m happy, you don’t want to lose your job but it was a huge experience for me.”
Chelsea FC will be looking to challenge for the Premier League title under Tuchel next season as they look to win the trophy for the first time since 2017.