England Salutes Frank Lampard’s Finest Hour

For a career so eventful and distinguished that its discussions have read like glowing obituaries for as long as the mind can recall, where the challenge is to cite a fresh anecdote and to search a new accolade and appropriate superlatives to bestow upon it, it is almost incomprehensible that another, possibly even the most illustrious, chapter is still to be eked out of the Frank Lampard story.

From winners against Brazil to finding the net from the Nou Camp by-line and scoring the ‘goal’ that led to the introduction of revolutionary goal-line technology to the game, not to mention being referred to by no less an idol than Zinedine Zidane as his favourite England player just yesterday, Lampard’s career has hit seldom paralleled heights over the past decade-and-a-half.

But even with all that behind him during what has been a glorious journey for both club and country, the occasion of his 100^th England cap against Ukraine tonight must rank atop the pile in terms of outright achievement. His consistency has been cause for his due placement in the annals before, of course, having racked up a record 164 consecutive Premier League appearances for Chelsea, to name but one instance of his renowned longevity, but to have reached this milestone after having only 7 caps to his name at the age of 24 is particularly impressive.

It is testament to a work ethic widely regarded as one of the best in the business that the ever-prolific 35-year-old can still score goals like this in training before, so folklore dictates, staying on for those famed shuttle runs as his colleagues are dusting off the day’s work in the dressing room.

Midfield rivals past and present, David Beckham and Steven Gerrard, along with club team-mate Ashley Cole, have all achieved the feat in the modern era but for Lampard to have done so in the manner that he has, having overcome so many obstacles en route, and with 29 goals – just one fewer than greats Alan Shearer, Tom Finney and Nat Lofthouse, all of whom were out-and-out strikers - to boot is worthy of the highest praise, even taking into account the high proportion of penalties within his tally.

It must also be remembered that, in order to even begin his Three Lions love-in, he was faced with the task of breaking up one of England’s finest engine room combinations in the partnership of Gerrard and Paul Scholes, which was already established at the time of his debut in October 1999. As a result of eventually managing just that, he was then made to endure the wrath of fans angered by Scholes’ subsequent retirement from national duty, as all but the Manchester United arm of England’s faithful were forced to bid farewell to one of the game’s great artists.

Following that, he then faced continuing criticism suggesting he and Liverpool’s talisman were incompatible and played the lead villain in the soap opera that was our nation’s infatuation and predictable yet acrimonious disenchantment with its so-called ‘golden generation’, suffering the scorn of supporters at Wembley and beyond, despite having been named his nation’s Player of the Year by those same followers, both in 2004 and 2005.

What is virtually unique about Lampard’s accomplishment is that it came through regularly prospering in the key role at a club that had the money to replace him at any given moment, where squad and fixture lists ran long but patience was in short supply. He has seen off an array of household names at Stamford Bridge to become one of the most successful players ever to grace the Fulham Road and now, incredibly, stands as the club’s top goal scorer with 204 goals and counting, all from midfield.

Prior to that, his attitude and commitment had seen him overcome a spell with West Ham United, his boyhood club and that of his father, Frank Snr., which left a sour taste after his uncle, then manager Harry Redknapp, was repeatedly accused of nepotism in promoting young Frank ahead of other promising talents, but the current Queens Park Rangers boss’s faith in his nephew’s potential, explicitly laid out in a now infamous fan gathering in 1996, has since been fully vindicated as his nephew has reached the sport’s apex and continues to excel on the biggest stage.

He has also been dogged by detractors for his often direct style of play and perceived lack of mobility, despite frequently performing notable feats of physical and mental improvisation, while others respect his role within a team yet bemoan the considerable impact that his contribution inevitably has on the general approach of any side of which he is the focal point.

But in what will be a landmark moment for the evergreen international, as he takes to the field for the one-hundredth time in the colours of his country this evening, Lampards senior and junior will have more than earned the right to marvel at the success of their second generation.

The man who has led his club through numerous crucial games, as both scorer of goals that have won league championships and as captain in victorious UEFA Europa League and Champions League finals, and who has twice taken the England armband, can be expected to lead from the front again tonight, even in his more familiar vice-captain role.

What odds this stalwart putting in yet another diligent display in Kiev and perhaps even marking the event by grabbing the all-important goal that puts his country in pole position for a place in a major tournament once more? If he were to do so, it would cap a momentous occasion, which ought to be celebrated in its own right by those throughout English football.