Skip to content

Frank Lampard's most memorable club career moments

Graphic

Frank Lampard will wave goodbye to the Premier League on Sunday, when Manchester City face Southampton on the final day of the season.

The Chelsea legend is set to switch to the MLS this summer, where he will continue his career with New York City FC. Ahead of his final game on these shores, we look back at 10 of his most memorable moments in club football...

First Premier League title with Chelsea

Chelsea win Premier League 2005, Mourinho, Lampard, Terry, Cech
Image: Lampard, Mourinho, Terry and Cech celebrate 2004/05 title

After 50 years of waiting, Chelsea travelled to Bolton in April 2005 knowing victory would make them champions of England. Jose Mourinho's side were fortunate not to fall behind during a frustrating first-half but Lampard stepped up after the break with two second-half goals to seal the Premier League title. There were still three league games to go and the Blues eventually finished 12 points clear of Arsenal – but the golden moment belonged to Lampard.

Captaining Blues to Champions League win

Frank Lampard holds the Champions League trophy after Chelsea's penalty win over Bayern Munich
Image: Lampard lifts the Champions League trophy

With club captain John Terry suspended for the final after picking up a red card against Barcelona in the semis, Lampard pulled on the armband and led Chelsea out into their second-ever Champions League final. The memories of their 2008 final defeat to Manchester United must have been vivid but the Blues battled back from conceding to Bayern Munich’s Thomas Muller seven minutes from time to win a dramatic contest on penalties. "This is one of the greatest days of my life,” said Lampard.

Becoming Chelsea’s all-time top goalscorer

With Lampard’s contract due to expire at the end of the 2012/13 season, the race was on for him to break Bobby Tambling’s all-time goal-scoring record for Chelsea. Needing two goals from the Blues’ final three games to set a new benchmark, Lampard was far from certain of achieving his aim. However, a second-half double against Aston Villa clinched the record – and virtually assured Chelsea of Champions League football the following season. “It means everything, it’s amazing,” he said afterwards.

FA Cup final winner in 2009

Chelsea's Frank Lampard scores against Everton in the FA Cup final at Wembley, in north London,on May 30, 2009. AFP PHOTO/ADRIAN DENNIS (Photo credit shoul
Image: Lampard nets the FA Cup winner in 2009

Lampard lifted four FA Cups during his time with Chelsea but his standout moment in the competition is surely his superb winner against Everton in the 2009 final. After Drogba had cancelled out Louis Saha’s fastest-ever FA Cup final goal, Lampard cut back onto his left foot and fired a 25-yard strike past Tim Howard – his 20th goal of the season.

First trophy with Chelsea 

Chelsea’s 2005 League Cup triumph was the club’s first trophy in the Mourinho era and kicked off the most successful era in the club's history. Finalists Liverpool had taken the lead through John Arne Riise, but the Blues eventually came through to win in extra-time. Lampard had previously won the Intertoto Cup with West Ham - but this was the start of him becoming one of the most decorated players in English football history.

Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player

Former Chelsea and West Ham midfielder Frank Lampard looks back on his 20-year career in England

22 league goals and the double 

Lampard’s superb goal-scoring record sets him apart from many top midfielders of his generation and the 2009/10 season under Carlo Ancelotti exemplified his prowess at finding the net. Having scored 20 goals or more in all competitions for the previous four seasons, Lampard weighed in with a remarkable 27 – including 22 in the league – as Chelsea landed the Premier League and FA Cup double. The England man even registered 17 assists in his stellar campaign.

THAT goal against Barcelona

Long range strikes and clinical finishes in the penalty box became Lampard trademarks during his career – but in a Champions League group stage game at Barcelona in 2006 he demonstrated his inventive talent, too. Picking up a loose ball on the Barca by-line, eight yards out, Lampard shaped to cross the ball for Drogba but, at the last moment, hooked the ball over Victor Valdes - a remarkable lob from the tightest of angles.

Emotional penalty against Liverpool

Image: Lampard scored from the spot against Liverpool

Just one week after the death of his mother, Lampard demonstrated his professionalism and composure to fire home a crucial penalty-kick to put Chelsea 3-2 up on aggregate in their 2008 Champions League semi-final with Liverpool. An emotional celebration followed before Didier Drogba completed the win. "Frank is a brave man," said boss Avram Grant. "He was very close to his mother and what has happened to him over the last few days has not been easy. He played extremely well and is a little bit happy now."

Football Writers’ Player of the Year 

As Chelsea swept to their first Premier League crown under Jose Mourinho, Terry, Drogba, Arjen Robben, Eidur Gudjohnsen and Ashley Cole all starred. However, it was ever-present Lampard who won the Football Writers’ Player of the Year prize, after scoring 13 goals and recording a league-high 16 assists in Chelsea’s title triumph. “It means a massive amount to me,” he said. “I was quite confident my time would come and I would win these kind of awards - I'm delighted it's happened now.”

Scoring against Chelsea for Man City

Image: Lampard refused to celebrate his equaliser against Chelsea

“I didn't expect to come on and score like that.” Lampard was lost for words after scoring a late equaliser for Manchester City against his beloved Chelsea in September 2014. Having left the Blues at the end of the previous season for a new start in the MLS, Lampard’s detour to the Etihad set up an inevitable reunion with his former club and City’s title rivals – but ever the professional, the midfielder did what he does best, arriving late in the box to finish clinically.

Around Sky