FRANK LAMPARD said he had “worked hard” to get the Chelsea manager’s job after Raheem Sterling argued there was not a level playing field for black managers in the English game.
The City forward, a leading voice in the fight against racial prejudice, said Lampard and Steven Gerrard, the boss of Rangers, had landed top jobs whereas their black former England teammates had not been given the same chances.
Lampard was given one of English football’s most sought-after roles after just one season in management at Championship side Derby County.
Gerrard was appointed manager of the Scottish giants in 2018 with no previous managerial experience.
Earlier this month, Sterling compared the roles offered to Lampard and Gerrard with the positions that Sol Campbell and Ashley Cole are in.
Campbell is manager of Southend, who were relegated to the fourth tier of English football this season, after starting his managerial career at Macclesfield.
Cole, who finished his playing career under Lampard at Derby, is now part of the coaching staff as an academy coach at Chelsea.
With Raheem, the individual comparison when you don’t have the detail of each person’s pathway I felt wasn’t quite right,” said Lampard, a former Chelsea player.
“It is very hard to make that comparison from the outside.”
Lampard stressed that opportunities had to be “equal for everybody”.
“We all agree on that, within that there are the details of how hard you have worked,” he said. “I certainly worked hard in my career to get this opportunity.”
However, Lampard was keen to underline his support for Sterling’s wider call for greater equality within the game and for an end to racist abuse.
What Raheem Sterling has spoken about in the last year or two, he has been brave enough to speak about issues that maybe have not been broached and should have been broached before. I think it is huge credit to him,” added the Chelsea boss.
“As a player and as a person, what he has stood up for over the past few years has been fantastic.”
Manchester City winger Sterling returns to Stamford Bridge on Thursday for the first time since he was the victim of alleged racial abuse in a Premier League meeting between the two sides in December 2018.
After that match, Sterling challenged the media to reflect on their depiction of black players and how it affects the attitudes of fans.
I think Frank has missed the point here. Not only is he white and male, he is also the nephew of Harry Redknapo and son of Frank Lampard. Lampard is very priveliged compared to most. Sterling is not saying Lampard hasn’t worked hard to get to the position he is in. But it is worrying that Lampard hasn’t grasped that he has started in a better position than others.
@EnKy: “Campbell is manager of southend, who were relegated to the fourth tier in english football this season” maybe that’s why he doesn’t have a premiership job, because he’s not a good coach, nothing to do with the colour of his skin
@Michael Oats: That isn’t my point- I wasn’t seeking to make any comparison between them at all. But, while we are at it, Lampard’s first job was Derby County. Campbell’s was Macclesfield Town. Both have had illustrious club and international careers. I know who’s position I would rather be in.
@Michael Oats: Worth noting that Campbell took them over when they were in a fairly bad position already. Lampard might be an excellent coach in time. Campbell could be terrible- but their starting positions don’t indicate that it is an equal playing field, especially considering both their playing achievements and coaching qualifications are similar.
@EnKy: Understand your point but I’ve read from various sources, mostly managers, that Lampard was the hardest working player they’d ever come across. First in each morning, last out, and a habitual student of the game, so he clearly feels his success is down to his work ethic and not his family links within the game or his ethnicity. He acknowledges that there is a wider issue, which there is, but he’s not comfortable in being held as an example of someone who has been given an armchair ride.
@Robert de Brún: again, nobody said he hasn’t worked hard. He took Derby from 6th to 6th and that got him the Chelsea job. Nobody is saying he didn’t work tirelessly to achieve that.
@Dave O Keeffe: That alone didn’t get him the chelsea job that’s very unfair, he got 6th with derby but had amazing success with youth players and fantastic football (incl beating Man Utd),which he’s doin at chelsea now, his work with the youth was a huge part in getting the chelsea job and also the fact he’s a chelsea legend??
@Philip Mckenna: I agree but he also had to be given the opportunity to prove himself. He didn’t have to start at a failing club. He did great work with Derby but at the end of the day fell short of their goals.
Hon Lamps
I don’t think Sterling ever said anybody didn’t work hard.
English media have never been shy in telling the public how intelligent Lampard is and how he speaks Latin etc. It’s strange that he would make a comment on this when the comparisons made by Sterling seem valid. Even if Is it the case that Cole and Campbell have not worked as hard as Lampard- the difference in the levels they are currently at now seem a prime example of systemic racism.
@Aidan Baragry: Soccer is a results based game. Look how over-represented black players are compared to their population percentage, don’t think there is any systemic racism, in general clubs will hire the best people they can who they think will get them results regardless of colour
Gerard got his first managers job at a big club Rangers. The point seams to be would a black manager get the same opportunity? How about we look at another Liverpool legend, John Barnes, first managerial job was Celtic. Campbell and Cole is a narrow example. Darren Moore’s first managerial role was with West Brom in the premier league. So maybe we can compare Gerard and Lampard with Barnes and Moore and it doesn’t appear as bad. Off course there are fewer black mangers than there should be.
@Kingshu: big club hahahaha hahahaha hahahaha haha hahahaha haha hahahaha haha
Name one coloured coach who has excelled more than chris Houghton one of our own, always give his all , thats what sterling should aspire to be,
Rudd guiltt crap , terry o connor crap,
If not up to the job. P45 same as anyone else
@Richy Fitz: I’ll name one. Chris Hughton