'I joined Derby because of Lampard' – Efe Ambrose admits to 'frustrating' time in England

Efe Ambrose says the presence of Frank Lampard was the reason why he joined Derby County from Hibernian.

The 30-year-old joined the Rams on a short-term deal from the Scottish Premier League side, however, he failed to feature for Lampard’s side before he was let go at the end of the 2018–19 season.

In a chat with Goal, he voiced his frustrations at Pride Park Stadium, claiming his mission to the club was not achieved following continuous snub from the manager he has a lot of respect for.

“I joined Derby County because of Frank Lampard. He has been my hero and I felt it was a chance for me to gather more experience from him,” Ambrose told Goal.

“I had to leave Hibernian where I was a regular to push my career forward and Derby was the right place for me, especially under a manager who has seen it all.”

Asked if he made any attempt to convince the Chelsea legend to consider him for selection, the defender insisted he had no regrets.

“I’m not that kind of player; I work very hard and leave the coaches to decide. If he [Lampard] felt I was good enough to play, he would have paraded me,” he continued.

“All my life, I have always allowed my football do the talking for me and I’ve always worked on that rather than go about begging to play.

“No regrets not getting a chance to play under Lampard, a manager I respect so much. He brought me in to serve as a cover up and help realise the club’s ambition, unfortunately, I never got a chance.

“I was able to contribute my quota especially during trainings but things didn’t go the way I planned.”

With the expiration of his contract with Derby County, Ambrose has vowed to declare his next move soon, while dismissing any retirement plans.

He added: “No, I’m still very active, strong and will continue playing until the day I can’t move my legs again.

“The most important thing is the next challenge and I’m just a player while my agents will do the talking. When the right time comes, I’ll announce my next move.”