Allardyce Backs Lampard for England Role, Not Chelsea Return

Frank Lampard's resurrection at Coventry City has sparked speculation about his next move, but Sam Allardyce reckons a Chelsea homecoming isn't on the cards – and there's a far better opportunity waiting.

After steering Coventry to the Championship title this season, Lampard finds himself in the curious position of being linked with his old club following Liam Rosenior's sacking. The Midlands outfit have been imperious in the second tier and clinched the crown at the weekend, yet the vultures are already circling.

Lampard himself has attempted to pour cold water on any Chelsea chat. "I'd like to think Coventry fans would just be enjoying where we are, the world of management, lots are out of control, you just control your work," he said last week. "At the minute I think we should just enjoy where we are, we've had an amazing season and I am really proud and pleased to be part of it, I enjoy what I'm doing here, I can't control who worries or not. Chelsea is a big part of my life and at the moment that's their business and my business is here."

But Allardyce has a different take on where Lampard's future lies. Speaking on the No Tippy Tappy Football podcast, the former Premier League manager dismissed the prospect of a Stamford Bridge return under the current regime. Instead, he's tipped Lampard for the England job.

"I don't think Frank Lampard is destined to go back to Chelsea anytime soon, especially under this current regime," Allardyce explained. "I do think that, if he's managing a Premier League club in the future and doing well, he'd be a good candidate for the England job."

Allardyce pointed to Lampard's track record of developing young talent during his first Chelsea stint, when a transfer ban forced him to blood academy prospects. "If you look back at his first stint at Chelsea when they had a transfer ban, he developed young players like Reece James and Mason Mount and gave them a chance – although he didn't really have a choice given the financial circumstances he was under."

Joe Cole, another Chelsea stalwart, echoes the sentiment that Lampard ought to steer clear of Stamford Bridge. The former winger believes Coventry's rebuilding project is where his focus should lie.

"Frank should stay away from it. The temptation for Frank, because he loves the club, would be to come back and give it another whirl," Cole told Paddy Power. "He's done a fantastic job at Coventry. Nobody would have backed Coventry for promotion at the start of the season. He's got a real challenge keeping them in the league next season."

Cole stressed that Lampard's energy must now be channelled into recruitment and retention, not romance with his old stomping ground. "All of his focus and mental energy now should be about recruitment. He should be identifying five, six, seven players he wants [for Coventry]. If I was him, I wouldn't go to Chelsea. In any job, you're being judged on your results but [at Chelsea] you don't have full control over what you can do. That's insane."

The message is clear: Lampard has rebuilt his managerial credibility at Coventry after setbacks at Chelsea and Everton. Whether he heeds the advice to avoid another Chelsea chapter remains to be seen.