Chelsea fans would universally vote for Frank Lampard as the best midfielder in Premier League history, however Gary Neville has explained why he doesn’t even get in his top five.
No midfielder in league history has scored more goals than Lampard, with him regularly contributing for the Blues for over a decade.
This has not seen him ranked so highly in everyone’s opinion though, with Jamie Carragher picking Kevin de Bruyne ahead of Lampard in his own top 10.
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Why Gary Neville didn’t name Frank Lampard in his top five Premier League midfielders
He still kept the Chelsea legend in his top five, although Neville explained that he didn’t make his list because he never played in a midfield two, and instead was always in a three.
He said to the ‘Gary Neville Podcast‘: “Frank Lampard. Again, I left Frank out because purely of the fact that if you said to me, he was the sort of biggest goalscoring influence from midfield, that Frank Lampard comes into it. But he was very much of the, again, I know that some of them have played in a three, but I was looking for more of players that have played in a two.
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“And I don’t know why. Maybe that’s just my thinking of it. You know, the idea that sort of De Bruyne or Lampard, if you’re talking to me about the biggest influence of sort of what will be attacking players who’ve played in this sort of area of the pitch.
“I’m going for a different type. I’m going for players who’ve played mainly in a two.”
Lampard is quickly becoming vastly underrated amongst pundits for what he has done in the game, especially if that is purely because of the system he usually played in.
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Chelsea still struggling to replace Lampard
Chelsea have had plenty of quality midfielders since the departure of Lampard, however the likes of N’golo Kante and Cesc Fabregas have not brought the goals the Englishman did.
The Blues have recently found an asset from midfield in Enzo Fernandez, who currently sits on 12 goals in all competitions this season.
Fernandez has rubbished claims he has replaced Lampard though, and there is a realistic chance he leaves the club at the end of the season.
The Argentine will return to the matchday squad against Manchester United next weekend after an in-house ban sanctioned by Liam Rosenior for his comments surrounding a move to Real Madrid.
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