Frank Lampard was Swansea target, Paul Clement says
Thursday 2 February 2017 15:24, UK
Paul Clement has revealed he tried to bring Frank Lampard to Swansea before the 38-year-old decided to retire.
Lampard announced his decision to quit on Thursday just days after he said he was considering offers from the Premier League and elsewhere.
And one of those offers came from Swans boss Clement, who was Carlo Ancelotti's assistant at Stamford Bridge between 2009 and 2011.
""I would have loved to have had him here," Clement said. "So I wouldn't be lying if I said I tried. But I think he was moving towards the decision he made. I fully respect that.
"It would be great to see him continue in the game of football, whether he does or not, it will be something he certainly thinks about in the next weeks or months I am sure.
"He's got a lot to offer and I would like to say congratulations to him on such a wonderful career."
Ancelotti's Chelsea scored 103 goals on their way to the Premier League title in 2009/10, and Clement had a pitch-side view as Lampard racked up 26 in all competitions.
"What a fantastic player," he said. "What an amazing playing career. I had the pleasure to work with him for two-and-a-half seasons, very closely at Chelsea.
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"I knew him before that because I was at the club in the youth department. I've kept in contact with Frank right up until very recently. I had a couple of messages with him.
"A great midfielder and one of the most outstanding goal scoring midfielders that the world has ever seen. The fact that at his peak he was scoring 20 goals a season from midfield is an incredible statistic, a lot of Premier League strikers would be proud of those numbers."
Lampard's career tally of more than 300 goals includes one scored for Swansea when he was on loan from West Ham as a teenager.
