Chelsea midfielder Frank Lampard, has issued a statement saying he plans to leave the Blues after spending 13 wonderful years at Stamford Bridge.
The 35-year old England International player is Chelsea FC’s all-time top scorer with no less than 211 goals. His contract expires this month.
Since joining Chelsea from West Ham 13 years ago, Lampard has contributed to 11 major trophy wins by the Club. They included the Champions League two years ago and three Premier League titles.
Lampard said: “This club has become part of my life.”
While it’s quite possible he will retire, the offers he has received from 16 other clubs could simply prove to be too attractive.
At the moment Lampard is in Miami with the England squad preparing for this year’s World Cup; reportedly he won’t make any final decision about his future until the tournament is over.
After signing a contract for £11 million, Lampard has played 648 games for Chelsea, the third highest in history after the 795 of Ron Harris and the 729 by Peter Bonetti.
During the time he has played for the West London club the team has won two League Cups, four FA cups and the esteemed Europa League.
Lampard was also appointed as Chelsea’s Player of the year on three different occasions. He concluded: “When I arrived at this fantastic club 13 years ago, I would never have believed that I would be fortunate enough to play so many games and enjoy sharing in so much success.”