Source: Telegraph
Chelsea v Everton: FA Cup in Frank Lampard's blood
But Frank Lampard Jnr resisted the urge to join Jose Mourinho at Inter Milan, and while he might have the look of a globe-trotter he's a London boy, closely tied in to the capital's footballing heritage, and highly unlikely now to forsake it during his playing career.
Like a good London boy, he loved his late mum, and one year on he still finds it hard to get through a few minutes' conversation without raising her memory.
He is keener than ever on Chelsea, despite the fact that he is about to get to know his sixth manager at the club when Guus Hiddink makes way for Carlo Ancelotti any moment, and his credentials for British blokishness are further enhanced by his love for the FA Cup, which he and his team-mates will pursue at Wembley next weekend.
No doubt, the fact that this is the last item of decorative metalwork that his club have a chance of winning this season plays a part in Lampard's affection for the trophy, but it is easier to believe in his desire for the Cup than it might be if the same emotions were expressed by any number of his expat team-mates.
Lampard grew up watching FA Cup ties on television or in the flesh, usually those involving his no-nonsense dad, Frank Snr, on duty for West Ham. Last year he went to the final, not as a pundit or a corporate guest, but as a punter, supporting his uncle, his dad's old mucker Harry Redknapp, then the manager of Portsmouth.
"It was a good experience to sit with the other punters," Lampard said. "I was hiding a little bit, I suppose, but really I was just there to support Harry."
Though obviously relieved that his team have now secured Champions' League football for next season, Lampard believes that a win in Saturday's final against Everton could be a valuable boost to the squad's morale as yet another manager gets his feet under the desk at Stamford Bridge.
"It's been a good season for me personally," Lampard said, acknowledging that he had once again been voted the club's Player of the Year by fans. "But it would be disappointing not to be part of a team that had won something.
"I remember when I was growing up the FA Cup was a big part of the season and I can remember quite a few magic moments that only the FA Cup can bring."
His father scoring the winner against Everton in the FA Cup semi-final 29 years ago is inevitably one of the most magical of them, and although Frank Jnr, now 30, was too young to remember it at the time, he sat through countless video replays.
There was never too much doubt about the younger Lampard's career direction. As he points out, "when football's, in you, sometimes it's hard to go down a different route", and while in the immediate aftermath of his mother's death he thought seriously about moving to play abroad, he now seems happy to have committed his playing future to Chelsea.
He won't say he'll never move, admitting that he might still fancy a season or two towards the top of the game when he is in his late thirties, but that is a long way off and the notion of what he might do when his playing career is finally over is only now beginning to occur to him.
"Over the last year or so I have started to think about doing some [coaching] badges," he said. He reckons that his club colleague John Terry is a likelier future boss, but admits that this kind of career forecasting can be unpredictable.
"My Dad always says that Harry Redknapp would have been the last person he would have thought of as a future manager."
Which brings us back to Chelsea, and the constantly revolving door on the Stamford Bridge manager's office. Lampard is reluctant to be drawn on specifics about Ancelotti, but has had plenty of opportunities in recent years to observe what happens when a new manager shows up at Chelsea.
"It keeps you on your toes," he said. "You want to respond in the right way. I'm not saying that you should change managers every year for that reason, though…"
Win tickets to the FA Cup final
Telegraph Sport has teamed up with E.ON to offer you the chance to win tickets to Saturday's Cup final. We have a pair of tickets in each end. Just answer this question: Which famous father and son are E.ON's Family Football ambassadors?
You can find the answer in the new Cup Final Zone at www.familyfootball.co.uk.
To enter call 0844 848 9351 and leave your name, address and whether you are an Everton or Chelsea fan. Lines close at midnight On Sunday.
Calls cost 5p from local BT landlines and calls from other networks and mobiles may vary. Travel is not included. The tickets are valid on Saturday May 30, 2009 only.
Terms and conditions.
1.Entrants must be aged 18 years and over.
2. One entry per person. Incomplete entries will not be accepted.
3. The prize is subject to availability. The prize does not include personal expenditure.
4. The Telegraph is responsible for the publication and adjudication of this prize draw. All other facilities connected with the provision of the prize are the responsibility of EOn. Promoter: Telegraph Media Group Limited, 111 Buckingham Palace Road, London SW1W 0DT.
