'That's exactly what I want to be' - Frank Lampard reveals how Pep Guardiola inspired him on Man City visit before ex-England star accepted Coventry job

Lampard has impressed during his time at Coventry so far, sitting fifth in the Championship, and hoping for a route into the Premier League via the play-offs. Now, the ex-Chelsea midfielder has admitted that a meeting with Guardiola inspired him to head back into management with the Sky Blues.

Lampard has previously managed Derby County, Chelsea, twice, and Everton, but has been out of work since 2023. Now, he is aiming to guide Coventry back into the top-flight for the first time since 2001, although they are 12 points behind fourth-placed Sunderland.

Lampard told The Athletic, when asked if he had spoken with other managers: "Yes, dinners with different coaches and different groups of people.

"I had a few of those, which are a really great opportunity just to mix ideas and chat. I went to see Thomas Frank at Brentford. He was so open and so interesting.

"About a month before this job came up, I went up to Manchester City to do an interview with Rodri and I got the opportunity to sit down for 45 minutes with Pep, which was amazing. Before I even started coaching, I had a couple of days at City and I was just amazed by his engagement on the training ground with the players. That’s exactly what I want to be, something like that. What’s my version of being in there next to a player, going through everything?"

Coventry are next in action against Stoke City this weekend. Stoke are currently 19th in the Championship.