Sean Dyche has revealed that he spoke to Frank Lampard before replacing him as Everton manager.
Everton sacked Frank Lampard in January 2023 after less than a year in charge, and in came Sean Dyche to try to retain the club’s Premier League status.
Dyche wasn’t the most inspiring selection, but he had a solid record from his time at Burnley and ultimately guided the club to safety on the final day, beating Bournemouth 1-0 at Goodison Park.
Speaking on The Good, The Bad & The Football YouTube channel, the 54-year-old has been reflecting on his decision to join the Toffees during that tough period and his conversation with Lampard.
Sean Dyche and Frank Lampard.
Photo by Laurence Griffiths/Getty Images
Sean Dyche actually asked the sacked Frank Lampard for advice before joining Everton
Dyche has revealed that he sought the advice of Lampard, who had just been sacked, before deciding to become Everton manager just under three years ago.
“I spoke to Frank (Lampard), and I obviously knew Frank Snr, before I went in to see where things were at (at Everton),” the former Toffees boss admitted.
“It’s a tough job Everton. Really tough job. We had it for different reasons during that period, and it was tough.
“There is the kindred spirit with that sort of thing and there is a Britishness to it, you know, when you played down the years, like Frank had an amazing career in a long career. I had a long career, albeit nowhere near that level. There is a bit of mutual respect for managers as well.”
Dyche continued: “But in this case, at Everton, I spoke to Frank. I knew roughly what the vibe was. I remember seeing Frank at the LMA dinner at the end of the year and sharing some goods, bads and indifference about it all.
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“I spoke to him about the Coventry job, wishing well, and every week smashing it at the minute. So I sent a message out of the blue and said, ‘look, you are making it look easy’ and all that sort of thing.
“I think most managers don’t begrudge genuinely, you know, I certainly don’t, whether someone goes before me or after me, I wish them well.”
Frank Lampard’s stock is higher than Sean Dyche’s now
It’s funny how things work in football, as it was only a few years ago Dyche was held in a much higher regard than Lampard.
But, fast-forward to the present, and Lampard is widely regarded as one of the best young managers in the country again.
The former Toffees boss has Coventry City top of the Championship table, playing some of the best football across all four divisions.
Meanwhile, Dyche has landed a job at Nottingham Forest, who are currently residing in the bottom three of the Premier League.
The pair could meet each other back in the top-flight next season, although Dyche is probably operating in a limited time period under Evangelos Marinakis’ ownership.
He suffered a 2-0 defeat to Bournemouth in his first Premier League game with the East Midlanders on the weekend.
Ange Postecoglou was in charge for just 39 days before Marinakis sacked him, so Dyche will have to get going pretty quickly.