Harry Redknapp always knew Frank Lampard possessed enormous talent, so when a fan questioned his ability during a fans’ forum, the notorious manager hit back.
Throughout his incredible career, Lampard has cemented himself as one of the greatest English players of our generation. The versatile box-to-box midfielder captivated fans with his incredible engine, hard-working attitude and immense footballing IQ.
He made a massive impact for Chelsea, making 429 appearances and scoring 147 goals, as well as winning three Premier League titles and a Champions League. Furthermore, Lampard solidified his position as a national hero after making 106 caps for England, in which he hit the back of the net 29 times.
The Romford-born footballer impressed from a young age and worked his way up through the West Ham academy before debuting for the first team. But despite his evident ability, not every fan was completely convinced by the midfielder early on.
Harry Redknapp hit back at Frank Lampard doubter
At just 17-years-of-age, the young player had the pressure of the world on his shoulders. Not only did he have the stress of the ever-increasing number of people watching Premier League matches on Sky Sports, but he also had to cope with the pressure of playing at Upton Park.
His manager at the time, Harry Redknapp, always backed the young midfielder. In fact, he regularly fought his corner. During a fans’ forum in 1996, the pair sat together to take questions from the crowd.
One member of the audience asked: “I want to ask Harry if the publicity he’s given young Frank there warrants it? Because personally, I don’t think he’s quite good enough yet. I also think in the last couple of years, you’ve let some good midfielders go for peanuts, like Matt Holland and Scott Canham.”
This enraged the manager, who responded: “Well, no, they definitely wasn’t good enough. He [Lampard] is good enough, and he definitely will be good enough. I let Scott Canham go, he was a good kid, he worked very hard. He’s gone to Brentford. He can’t get in Brentford’s team. He’s 21 years of age.
“I let him go because young Frank’s 17/18, and he’s miles in front of him.”
The fan shouted back: “While that isn’t really true.”
Redknapp countered: “Well, it is true. That’s my opinion. I get paid to make judgements on players.
He later added: “Without any shadow of a doubt, there will be no comparison with what Frank Lampard will achieve in football, and what Scotty Canham will achieve in football [Canham spent the following years in the Second Division and Third Division with Brentford and Leyton Orient, before dropping down to non-league].”
The Hammers manager concluded: “I tell you now, he will get right to the very top.” How right he was.
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