Official: Chelsea appoint club legend Frank Lampard as head coach

Super, Super Frank!

Super, Super Frank!

Super, Super Frank!

Super Frankie Lampard ... is the new head coach of Chelsea Football Club!

The 41-year-old club and Premier League legend, Chelsea’s all-time leading goalscorer and third all-time appearance-maker has returned, five years after leaving to join New York City FC Manchester City.

Unless you’ve been living under a rock for the past month, this should not be a surprise.

And still, there was much rejoicing!

At last!

“I am immensely proud to be returning to Chelsea as head coach. Everyone knows my love for this club and the history we have shared, however, my sole focus is on the job in hand and preparing for the season ahead. I am here to work hard, bring further success to the club and I cannot wait to get started.”

-Frank Lampard; source: Chelsea FC

Lampard retired from playing at the end of the 2016 MLS season and took his first job in football management just last summer. He was picked from over a dozen (more “qualified”) candidates by Derby County, whom he guided all the way to the Championship promotion playoff final, only to lose to Aston Villa (where John Terry remains an assistant coach).

It was an impressive enough season to get his name firmly in the running for a potential Chelsea vacancy, and while all of this may have come along a bit sooner than anyone might have expected — despite the recent delays — we had all assumed that Lampard would one day return to Stamford Bridge as a manager.

“It gives us great pleasure to welcome Frank back to Chelsea as head coach. Frank possesses fantastic knowledge and understanding of the club and last season, he demonstrated he is one of the most talented young coaches in the game.

“After 13 years with us as a player, where he became a club legend and our record goalscorer, we believe this is the perfect time for him to return and are delighted he has done so. We will do everything we can to ensure he has all the support required to be a huge success.”

-Marina Granovskaia; source: Chelsea FC

Now that day is here, and it feels right.

Welcome home, Super Frank! Let’s win some things, again.

Photo by Darren Walsh/Chelsea FC via Getty Images