During his first spell as Chelsea manager, Frank Lampard gave several players their big break.
The likes of Reece James and Mason Mount instantly come to mind, with the former still thriving at Stamford Bridge.
Journalist Matt Law has even heard that James is becoming more of a leader at the training ground and in the dressing room, which is what you want from your captain.
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Fofana coming in surely has to be one of them!
Split image of Chelsea defender Wesley Fofana clapping and Benoit Badiashile focusing
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However, there were also players who did not experience too much joy during Lampard‘s reign.
Pedro of Chelsea during the FA Cup Third Round match between Chelsea FC and Nottingham Forest
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Pedro rejected contract offer after being overlooked by Frank Lampard
Pedro was an important player for Chelsea in their last title-winning campaign. Back in the 2016/17 season, the winger registered 18 goal contributions in 35 Premier League appearances.
However, when Lampard eventually took over, that and his form the following year did not stop the Englishman from overlooking him.
Pedro was not a regular under Lampard and decided to leave Chelsea in 2020 on a free transfer, rejecting the opportunity to renew his contract.
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Speaking to FourFourTwo, he revealed: “I still have a lot of love for Chelsea. Even under those circumstances they offered me a contract renewal. But given the outlook of playing less and Lampard’s continued presence, I decided to leave.”
Right now, Pedro is at Lazio, while Lampard is managing at Coventry City and doing an excellent job there. His side are currently eight points clear at the top of the Championship table.
Frank Lampard, Manager of Chelsea arrives at the stadium
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Pedro’s record under Frank Lampard
In total, Pedro made 23 appearances during Lampard’s first season in charge of Chelsea. Across those games, he was only able to score two goals.
In attack, Lampard preferred Mason Mount, Christian Pulisic and Willian, hence Pedro’s departure at the end of the 2019/20 campaign.
Pedro’s record under Frank Lampard Appearances Goals Assists
Premier League 11 1 1
Champions League 3 0 0
UEFA Super Cup 1 0 0
FA Cup 6 0 1
Carabao Cup 2 1 1
Total 23 2 3
Via Transfermarkt
All in all, though, Pedro has had a very successful career at Chelsea. As well as the Premier League, he also won the Europa League and FA Cup during his time in west London.
He finished his Chelsea career with 206 appearances and 43 goals to his name. Costing just over £20m, Pedro proved to be an absolute bargain for the Blues.
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