Lampard deflects Chelsea talk but confirms talks with Derby owner planned

Derby County boss Frank Lampard has distanced himself from speculation linking him with a return to Chelsea, but admits his future is up for discussion following his club’s play-off final defeat to Aston Villa.

Goals from Anwar El Ghazi and John McGinn with only Martyn Waghorn's reply consigned the Rams to defeat at Wembley, denying the club a return to the Premier League.

Despite the disappointment, Lampard earned plaudits in his debut season as Derby boss, and has seen his name linked back to his old club Chelsea, where Maurizio Sarri's future remains uncertain.

However, the 40-year-old former Blues midfielder was keen to deflect talk of any possible exit from Pride Park speaking to media following the defeat. 

Derby owner Mel Morris had previously stated that the club had not been approached regarding his manager’s services, but in an interview with Sky Sports, Lampard did confirm that talks regarding his future will take place "in the next few days".

"I'm not interested in the speculation," he said. "What is likely is I'll speak to Mel Morris, the owner, in the next few days when the dust settles and then we'll see how it goes.

"I've got a two-year contract and I love working at this place. The fans giving the players an ovation.... we'll see."

"Whether the loan players go back, they've been influential for us this year. We've got players out of contract so its work for us to put right.

"It's important we start the work really quickly [for next season] because the squad is very thin now for next year. It's a shame because they're great characters in there, but this is football."

Following his side’s 2-1 defeat to Villa, Lampard described his players as “gutted”, but insisted he is proud of what his squad have achieved since he joined the club in May last year.

“They're gutted because they wanted it so much, as you should,” he said. “But when a group get on as well as they did and when a group have dragged themselves through with youth and players in the last year of their contracts you've got a real mixture.

“They've managed to get this far and I'm just proud.”