Lamps considered Inter move

Chelsea midfielder glad he rejected switch in 2008

Last updated: 24th February 2010   Subscribe to RSS Feed

Lamps considered Inter move

Lampard: Thought about joining Inter

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Frank Lampard has admitted he thought about joining Jose Mourinho at Inter Milan in the summer of 2008.

The Portuguese tactician had just been appointed as manager of the Italian giants and identified the midfielder as somebody who could strengthen his squad.

Lampard opted to stay with Chelsea but has now conceded that it was tempting to link up again with a manager who had helped so much with his development.

"At the time, if I am honest about it, I did have thoughts about going to Inter," Lampard said in the Daily Star.

"It was a difficult time for me in my life. Things had happened for me personally and everybody knows how I feel about Jose Mourinho.

"It was never a case of wanting to leave Chelsea to go to a team in England - that would be impossible for me."

Lampard has no regrets about his decision to remain at Stamford Bridge and does not think he will ever leave the club now.

"I'd like to finish my career here now, but then I didn't know what I wanted," he explained:

"I thought maybe it was something I could, but it is the best thing I have done, not going to Inter."

Lampard maintains that the support he has always received from Chelsea fans was a major factor in his decision.

He said: "I'll never forget what my mum and my dad said to me at the time, 'Don't forget when you walk away from the ground everyone is singing your name, don't forget what these people have given to a West Ham boy moving across London'.

"That kind of thing made me think and I am positive that I made the right decision."

Mikel

Chelsea face Inter in the first leg of their UEFA Champions League tie on Wednesday evening, giving many players the opportunity to show Mourinho how far they have come over the past couple of years.

Midfielder John Obi Mikel holds Mourinho in high regard but insists he will put feelings of friendship to one side when he goes onto the pitch.

"Mourinho is the man who brought me to Chelsea and this is the first time I will play against him, though we played in a friendly and won 2-0," said the Nigerian.

"It is a soft spot but we have to do what we did in the friendly and win the game."

When asked to compare Mourinho with his current coach Carlo Ancelotti, Mikel was full of praise for both men.

He added: "They are both very good managers and I am really pleased to work under both of them.

"Ancelotti has come in and brought a different mentality to the way we play, playing a diamond system and I think it has been really effective.

"We have to just keep supporting the manager and playing to his instructions."