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Frank Lampard Speaks Out On Chelsea Transfer Ban
Veteran midfielder insists heavy punishment will bring squad closer.
Sep 7, 2009 6:08:29 PM
Frank Lampard is the first Chelsea player to speak out since the west London club was banned from any transfer activity until 2011 for inducing French teenager Gael Kakuta to break his contract with Lens.
Defiant in the face of FIFA's staggering punishment, Lampard believes the ban will ultimately bring the existing players together.
“A lot of things have happened to me in my career with England and Chelsea and whenever it’s backs to the wall, for whatever reason that might be, it brings a togetherness and can be used as a positive," the former West Ham United trainee said in The Mirror.
“It’s a general question that certainly shouldn’t just involve Chelsea. We all want to see good young English kids coming through," said Lampard.
Defiant in the face of FIFA's staggering punishment, Lampard believes the ban will ultimately bring the existing players together.
“A lot of things have happened to me in my career with England and Chelsea and whenever it’s backs to the wall, for whatever reason that might be, it brings a togetherness and can be used as a positive," the former West Ham United trainee said in The Mirror.
“You certainly can’t let it be used as a negative. It’s something that is out of the players' control anyway so all we can do now is make it a positive.”
He strongly defended The Blues' transfer policies and asserts that in spite of Chelsea's lavish spending the club actually produces many talented English talents and have fewer foreign prospects under contract than the rest of the Big Four.“It’s a general question that certainly shouldn’t just involve Chelsea. We all want to see good young English kids coming through," said Lampard.
“I’ve said it before and I will say it again - I was very fortunate to come through a good academy at West Ham and was taught in the right way by the right people and that helped me play first-team football.
“They scoured Essex, up North and the Midlands for the best people and that’s how academies should be run.
“Now in the modern day the academies go out and look for players from abroad and again that’s the right thing to do as it is all to the benefit of the club.
“When young players come through fans obviously prefer a local boy to come through because they can relate to them.
“But they are not too bothered where they come from as long as they play well. It’s changed a bit since my day but we should always look for the best English players to develop.
“It’s great to see English kids at Chelsea. I relate to English boys and will also try and help them. It’s good to see.
“It’s not easy at Chelsea. I had it easy [at West Ham]. I played in the first team at 17, 18 but there was nowhere near the quality there is at Chelsea.
“So it’s not easy for the young lads. They have to keep their heads down for a longer period of time and be even more determined and work even harder to get where they want to be.”
Jeremy Brown, Goal.com
Inside Goal.Com
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