CHELSEA AND ENGLAND midfielder Frank Lampard believes he has not produced top form for his country at major tournaments.
The 35-year-old has won all available major domestic honours in his time at Stamford Bridge, completing the set by added the UEFA Europa League title to his collection with victory over Benfica last Wednesday’s final.
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Yet Lampard revealed he is disappointed not to have tasted similar success with England, and feels he has not performed to a sufficient standard at FIFA World Cups and UEFA European Championships.
He told TalkSPORT: “As a group and individually, I’ll hold my hands up and say at World Cups I haven’t performed, certain England games I haven’t performed.
“It certainly isn’t for the want of trying. But when you look at the end and you go ‘yes, I’ve ticked all those boxes’, the international one, none of us have ticked.”
Lampard hopes to remain within the England set-up and play at the 2014 FIFA World Cup in Brazil, and insists the long-standing criticism that he and fellow midfield stalwart Steven Gerrard cannot play together is a fallacy.
“I think it’s a myth,” he added.
“There was a lot of talk about Stevie coming to Chelsea years ago and I can’t see that we wouldn’t have been able to play together if we’d have been playing regularly.
“Going in and playing big tournaments at 4-4-2 at times, it’s not easy in midfield, when you’re outnumbered, because you’re not getting outnumbered against mugs, you’re outnumbered against top players.”
Lampard: I have not performed at World Cups
CHELSEA AND ENGLAND midfielder Frank Lampard believes he has not produced top form for his country at major tournaments.
The 35-year-old has won all available major domestic honours in his time at Stamford Bridge, completing the set by added the UEFA Europa League title to his collection with victory over Benfica last Wednesday’s final.
Yet Lampard revealed he is disappointed not to have tasted similar success with England, and feels he has not performed to a sufficient standard at FIFA World Cups and UEFA European Championships.
He told TalkSPORT: “As a group and individually, I’ll hold my hands up and say at World Cups I haven’t performed, certain England games I haven’t performed.
“It certainly isn’t for the want of trying. But when you look at the end and you go ‘yes, I’ve ticked all those boxes’, the international one, none of us have ticked.”
Lampard hopes to remain within the England set-up and play at the 2014 FIFA World Cup in Brazil, and insists the long-standing criticism that he and fellow midfield stalwart Steven Gerrard cannot play together is a fallacy.
“Going in and playing big tournaments at 4-4-2 at times, it’s not easy in midfield, when you’re outnumbered, because you’re not getting outnumbered against mugs, you’re outnumbered against top players.”
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