Frank Lampard has expressed delight after guiding Coventry City to promotion to the Premier League, ending their 25-year hiatus.
The Sky Blues had been mathematically assured of promotion back to the top-flight after their draw against Sheffield Wednesday last week, but made sure of their place in next season’s Premier League with a 1-1 draw at Blackburn Rovers on Friday night.
It marks a remarkable improvement for the club who now returns after their last campaign in 2001 with three matches to spare.
“I’m proud. Sometimes, all managers talk about the players, but I am proud, and I’m proud of myself, the staff and the boys”, an emotional Lampard said.
“We drove up 15 months ago in a people carrier, and we went into a bit of an unknown, as you always go into a job.
“We’ve fallen in love with the players, how they’ve reacted, the fan base, how it’s reacted.”
Coventry City, however, will have to wait to clinch the Championship title, as they currently lead second-placed Ipswich Town with 11 points, although they have two games in hand.
The closest they came was in 2023, but they were defeated by Luton Town in the playoff finals.
“So it’s right up there for me for what I may have achieved. I was fortunate to be in great Chelsea teams. Winning the Champions League and winning leagues was amazing. Sometimes I could thank Didier Drogba or John Terry for that”, Lampard added.
“Now, to do this with this club in the circumstances that we’ve done it, for me, [is] overachieving. I’m not belittling the players there. They’ve raised their game up by pure work, and I’m very proud to be the manager of that.”
Coventry City will now hope to finish their campaign on a high note, beginning with their next outing against Portsmouth on Tuesday.
Olakitan is a young writer with a strong passion for sports, having gained experience with IndyPress and Nimelssa Press. His enthusiasm for sports inspired him to cover events both within his school and beyond. With a deep understanding of the game and a refined skillset, he brings sports coverage to a broad, global audience in a way that’s engaging and accessible.
