Frank Lampard shares his feelings towards Everton fans as a player and manager
New manager Frank Lampard shared his thoughts on the Everton fans during his first press conference since his appointment.
He visited Goodison with opposing teams numerous times over a long Premier League career, as a player with West Ham, Chelsea and Manchester City, and then again as a manager at Stamford Bridge.
And the fans played a significant role in the ex-England midfielder landing the Toffee’s top job, as their vocal protests against Vitor Pereira are thought to have influenced owner Farhad Moshiri.
Reflecting on his impression of the Goodison faithful’s passion across his career Lampard said in the press conference: “I’ve been really pleased. I didn’t expect anything different than as a player. This was one of the stadiums you came to, and sometimes you’d take some words.
“I found a lot of them, at this stadium in particular, sometimes [had] some good humour, which was quite a nice relief.
“It’s the reason why Everton Football Club is steeped in tradition, because of how people feel about this club”.
He went on to express his current feelings, now as their manager, saying: “I was very pleased, I was very thankful for the messages of support… I don’t expect universal support.
“I hope… that people will see that I have a work ethic, the fans will see, and how I’m going to embrace this job.”
New hope
The new boss is saying all the right things as he kicks off his reign on Merseyside and currently everything feels positive.
The 43-year-old is known to be a considered speaker in press conferences so that comes as no surprise.
Closing the door on the turmoil that came before, bringing in new signings and setting up his backroom staff has instilled a sense of hope among the fans, and so it should.
It will need to be backed up on the pitch though if the feeling is going to stick around for long.
Lampard likely has mixed feelings about his visiting experiences at Goodison, as he scored some stand out Chelsea goals at the stadium, but also suffered some damaging defeats.
One thing is for sure is that the fans have left a lasting impression on him, and with their preferences being made loud and clear over the previous week, they are certainly not going unnoticed now for the new man in charge.
In other Everton news, the club are reportedly working to sign this European legend.