Source: Telegraph
Chelsea's Frank Lampard driven into club record books through fear of being dropped
The Lampard's goal against Sunderland in midweek saw him enter the Chelsea record books and join Jimmy Greaves as the club's fifth highest scorer on 132, and the 31-year-old is the first to admit he never anticipated such a tally when he first joined the Stamford Bridge-based club eight years ago.
The turning point, according to Lampard, was the 2003 arrival of Russian billionaire owner Roman Abramovich who instilled fear into a host of players who, with no guarantees with regard to their futures had to prove themselves worthy of staying at the club.
'It was Abramovich's first year, it was a big year for me, I started to score more frequently," Lampard told the Sun. 'I think it was the fear factor a bit because no-one knew whether they would be sold or knocked out of the team. I really took it on board.
'You set your standards, it's always good to set high standards and I want to do that for as long as possible.'
Looking to the future with a view of moving up the table of top scorers, Lampard, who could become joint third place if he can net another 18 goals this season, added: 'It is a great honour to be out there with an opportunity to match Jimmy Greaves, one of the all-time great goalscorers.
'Without doubt, I am very proud, I would not have imagined that I would have got to that level eight years ago when I came to Chelsea.
'But I am glad to be there and I hope to be going up the scoring charts. I have my eye on who is above me and if I keep plugging away and scoring goals in future.
'Peter Osgood and Roy Bentley are on 150 not that I have been looking at the stats! Kerry Dixon is on 193, Bobby Tambling 202. That feels a long way off at the moment but so long as I am part of a successful team.
'I am proud of the record and I feel like a striker at times and score as much as they do, and I know that I have played more games than those in the lists, but I am proud to be out there with them.'
