Lampard billed as future England boss by Capello after showing no fear at Chelsea

Frank Lampard is a future England manager in the making, says Fabio Capello, with the Chelsea boss having shown no fear after stepping into one demanding post.

A Blues legend was returned to Stamford Bridge over the summer.

He had just one season of coaching experience behind him at Derby, but those in west London decided to seek inspiration from a familiar face.

Lampard stepped into a testing role, with Chelsea having been stung with a two-window transfer ban.

That embargo has actually worked in their favour, with greater trust having to be shown in academy graduates such as Tammy Abraham, Mason Mount and Fikayo Tomori.

The faith in youth has been richly rewarded, with the Blues back in Premier League top-four contention and making steady progress in the Champions League.

Lampard has earned plenty of plaudits for the manner in which he has gone about his business, and the success he has overseen, with Capello adding his praise to the pot.

The ex-England boss sees no reason why a man who once played under him cannot follow in his footsteps by reaching the very top of the coaching game.

Capello told Sky Sports: "I don't know. Probably ... because he can do it. He understands everything and has started without fear and put young players on the pitch."

The Italian, who spent four years in charge of the Three Lions and guided them to the 2010 World Cup, is keeping a close eye on Lampard’s progress at Chelsea.

He added: "I follow him. I watch all the games and I was upset when he started the season and he lost two games and the team didn't play well.

"Now, the results are good and the position is really good and without the [transfer] market."

While Lampard is making impressive progress in the early part of his managerial career, Capello has reached the opposite end of his.

The former Real Madrid and Juventus boss is now 73 years of age and, with media work taking up a lot of his time, he took the decision to announce his retirement from coaching in April 2018.