Frank Lampard announced he is officially leaving Chelsea after 13 seasons at The Bridge. I started following the EPL and Chelsea casually just before the millenium, but started following on a game to game basis in 2001, with Lampard arriving that Summer. I did get to experience roughly 4 years of Zola at Chelsea and it was magical, but being a part of Super Frank's entire career in Blue has made him easily my favorite player for the club(and maybe any team I have followed).
There have been a lot of impressive facts posted today about Lampard, some of the ones I enjoyed:
1. He appeared in at least 40 matches(all comps) in all but one of his 13 seasons
2.Played in 577 Premier League matches(2nd to only Giggs)
3.Scored 10 goals or more in 10 consecutive seasons at one point
4.he scored in every round of the Champions League, FA Cup, and all but one of the League Cup
5.He appeared in 164 consecutive League matches, a record.
6. He is the only midfielder in Premier League history with 150+ goals and is second to Giggs in career assists
7.scored 20 goals or more in a season 5 times
8.Remarkably is Chelsea's all time leading goal scorer, passing some great Strikers
He is one of the best centermids of his generation(if not the best) and few can argue about him being the greatest Chelsea player ever at this point. Beyond the facts and records are just the countless memories:
Starting with a somber one: The game after Lampard's mom passed, with his dad watching from the stands, he stepped up to take a penalty to win and then breaks down after scoring. Few moment sin sports left me as speechless as watching the drama that day
http://youtu.be/KAfiVZH6Yio
For the better ones:
His brace at The Reebok to clinch the first title in 50 years http://youtu.be/vJPRLoGFCbo
His showdown with Ballack and the best goal he ever scored: http://youtu.be/oNXszJDJpOQ
His impossible goal against Barca: http://youtu.be/zP_5QhKnt1k
When we won the double in 2010 and he put up 22 goals and 17 assists in league play alone
Breaking the club goals record at Villa, which resulted in us qualifying for the CL http://youtu.be/rRpv7tj51wY
The two huge plays against barca in the two legs that lead directly to our CL triumph:
1. Winning the ball off Messi and playing a perfect lofted ball to a streaking Ramires http://youtu.be/gcHY8qTYhnA
2. Him winning the ball off of Mascherano and playing a perfectly weighted through ball to Ramires for "that goal" http://youtu.be/RjML0SxBshI
Those plays were very reminiscent of the play to open the scoring against Barca way back in the 04-05 season in one of the greatest games I ever watched. http://youtu.be/eofyqOMBKeE
This pass http://youtu.be/NMaDBlgp2zY
The penalty he scored under Reina's arm at Anfield and then celebrated by taunting the fans and getting a yellow card...the only time I ever saw him do anything remotely like this.
All of those wonderful rocket goals he scored and in contrast, all the goals he scored arriving in the box in just the nick of time, as he anticipated play as well as or better than anyone I have ever seen.
I enjoyed this video which highlighted some of the skillful plays he rarely is associated with
http://youtu.be/e6bXlI1-HNk?t=50s
Converting his penalty and captaining the side in Munich to lift the trophy I was started to think we would never win
He was probably the easiest and most likeable athlete for me to root for, and how often do you get to say you watched every season of your team's(club's) all time greatest player? I wouldn't trade these 13 seasons of Super Frank for anyone else.
Sad Day.