Conor Coady explains what Frank Lampard said to encourage his Everton switch
Conor Coady completed a season-long loan deal to Everton in the summer, and pointed towards Frank Lampard as a big reason behind his move.
After seven years at Wolves, Coady swapped Molineux for Goodison Park this summer. The former Liverpool defender has started brightly for the Toffees, and was even awarded the captain’s armband for the recent win against West Ham.
Coady is used to that privilege having been Wolves’ captain since 2018. But despite his success with Wolves, Coady insisted the chance to join Everton – and work under Lampard – was too good to turn down.
“It was mad. When I got the opportunity to come here I didn’t want to turn it down. I didn’t want to miss it,” said Coady during his interview with Everton’s official website.
“As soon as I spoke to him [Lampard] I just thought to myself: He sounds incredible. It sounds absolutely incredible, the way he wanted to play, how he wanted to do things, what he wanted to do with the club and where he wants to take it. I wanted to be a part of it.”
Merseyside homecoming
Coady has settled in at Goodison Park with ease. The Liverpool-born defender grew up around the area and seems happy to be home.
Despite his obvious links to the red half of Merseyside, Coady has shown nothing but full commitment to the Toffees since joining in the summer.
He’s immediately taken it upon himself to lead the team from the back, and his budding partnership with fellow new signing James Tarkowski has helped Everton head into the international break with the second-best defence in the Premier League.
His ties to Liverpool have already been forgotten by the Goodison faithful – his passionate celebrations in the derby might’ve had something to do with that – and he’s quickly becoming a fan favourite.
Coady may only have signed on a loan deal for the 2022/23 season, but you’d be stretched to find a single Evertonian not keen on wanting to make his stay permanent.
He’s only 29 years old, suits Lampard’s style perfectly, and has hugely improved the starting lineup – it seems a no-brainer.