Chelsea host Liverpool on Sunday, live on Sky Sports Premier League from 4pm; kick-off at 4.30pm
Friday 20 September 2019 15:51, UK
Frank Lampard says he began working on resolving Callum Hudson-Odoi's future at Chelsea "as soon as he got the job" at Stamford Bridge.
Hudson-Odoi signed a new five-year deal with Chelsea on Thursday, ending a long-running saga which had previously looked as though it would end with the 18-year-old leaving the club.
The England winger's previous deal was set to expire at the end of this season, and he was heavily linked with a move to Bayern Munich in January amid discontent over a lack of playing time under previous head coach Maurizio Sarri, who Lampard replaced in July.
"Pretty much as soon as I got the job I made contact with him to make him aware that I want him to be part of the plan," Lampard said.
"He's a young lad who's come through the academy here, the club's worked hard with him, he's worked hard to get in the first team and for me it just felt like what everybody wanted.
"So then it was away from me slightly in terms of the club dealing with the contract in itself, but I wanted to make it clear that I want him at the club, because I believe in his talent."
Hudson-Odoi eventually got his chance in the first team during the second half of last season, but his campaign was curtailed by an Achilles tendon rupture suffered against Burnley in April, which has kept him out until now.
However, after playing for Chelsea's U23s against Brighton last week, Hudson-Odoi is now on the verge of returning to first-team action.
While Sunday's clash with Premier League leaders Liverpool is expected to come too soon, Lampard is expecting Hudson-Odoi to return with no shortage of motivation, having seen fellow academy graduates Tammy Abraham, Mason Mount and Fiyako Tomori star during the opening weeks of the season.
"I also know that now the five-year contract is signed, is when the hard work really starts for him," Lampard said.
"He's got everything in front of him. We know the talent that he has. He's shown in it on occasions in the first team when he's had his opportunity, but I think there's a lot more, and it's pure hard work that will get him there.
"Hopefully Callum can look at the other players around him, the younger players, who are getting their opportunities, which are not just handed on a plate, they're handed because they deserved them because the players have worked so hard in pre-season.
"There's a nice thing for him to see and hopefully be hungry for and now it's signed and sealed, we can put that to bed and get to work."
