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“I sat in the Chelsea manager’s office and had a little moment to myself”
I had something on my side in that I knew the club well. I knew as I drove here on the first day that I’d know a lot of faces, that I’d know the ins and outs.
What I didn’t do too much as a player was step into the manager’s office. I waited to be asked in or occasionally would tap on the door, but it wasn’t regular for me. To go upstairs and turn left, as opposed to right, was slightly strange and surreal.
I sat in the office the first day I got there and had a little moment to myself, but that’s kind of where the surreal nature and emotions had to stop.
I thought ‘I’m in work mode’, and used the fact I knew some faces to settle in pretty quickly and got to the job in hand. Things have gone very quickly but it feels like I’ve been here a long time.
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The look
I haven’t had any moment where I’ve said ‘this is what I’ll be’. I wore a tracksuit in some cups, a suit for some games… I am superstitious so it can decide what I’m going to wear.
On match days you do get active on the line and in the dressing room, and I’ve found it to be comfortable to wear a tracksuit, but I’ve not decided that’s me for my managerial life.
“Family time allows me to switch off”
It’s something I can improve. My wife will probably tell you I can improve too! But my ‘switching off’ is my family time.
I have two daughters who are at school and a third, my baby daughter, who’s just over a year old. Obviously they’re huge to me and this job takes a lot of your time and effort, so every moment I get I try to switch off with the family.
I have a very understanding wife who’s very driven herself, but if I can I’ll put something other than the football on the TV, spend some time with my daughters doing homework, take the dog for a walk, and basically try to get away from the environment. But it’s tough!
“I didn’t feel I was certain to become a manager when I was playing”
When you’re playing, it’s such a long road. I needed a year off when I finished, to go through my coaching badges, and time with the family.
As a guy over 30 I started to get more interested in the idea of management and how I could affect others around me, and help players, and hopefully bring success in that way as a manager.
There were a lot of big personalities in the dressing room. I never got too far ahead of myself. It’s nice to see some of those players – Joe Cole, Ashley Cole, John Terry – it’s good to see them coming through.
“Jose gave me a lift, Ancelotti was so personable”
All of my former managers have helped, for good or bad. You take everything on board in different ways.
Jose Mourinho was obviously huge for me and the first time he came to the club he gave me a huge uplift in confidence. More than tactics or technical stuff, it was more about how good I could be and did I have the mindset to move up levels.
Carlo Ancelotti, in terms of how personable a manager could be, his relationship one-on-one, to get the best out of you I always found special. Those two I tend to say a lot, but I feel bad leaving out a lot of the other managers I had.
“Azpilicueta and Jorginho could be managers – but need to focus on playing right now”
I would encourage my players not to do their badges, because I’d like them to focus on their game – but when we have meetings that they take it in, think about it and the bigger picture because that can help you.
I’ve got good leaders. Azpilicueta who is the captain for a reason because he sets such a great example, he’s a football man who I would imagine will stay in the game.
Jorginho, too, who’s recently become vice-captain. Part of the reason for that was because he thinks about the game and he’s a winner. He’s very forthright in the dressing room but a thinker too. When you change something he’s always listening and asking.
“There’s a respect among fellow managers”
Jody Morris my assistant, is close with me since we were at the West Ham and Chelsea youth teams. We work together and are always in contact too, we’re very close. And everyone knows I’m close with John Terry from my time here.
But now I’m in the Premier League as a manager I go to the meetings and people like Pep Guardiola, Mauricio Pochettino, Jurgen Klopp and Roy Hodgson are also friendly and accommodating.
They’re not best mates, but there’s a respect I found interesting and really appreciated when I sat with them.
Frank Lampard in three words…
Determined – because I’m determined for improvement and that’s as much for myself as well as the players and squad.
That could lead you onto obsessive, which sounds strange but it’s something I had as a player.
And after that I try to be calm. It’s important to stay level-headed, in victory and defeat, important that the players see that from you and it’s in my nature anyway.
If playing is 10, what’s managing?
It’s a 10/10 too.
I’m so fortunate in my career. It was long, I was in a big era particularly here where we were full of top players and won stuff. But particularly as a manager.
I get asked this a lot but I don’t miss playing. I felt like I gave everything in my career and the end came at the right time for me and probably everyone else!
The managing, the wins, the responsibility for what you might have done through the week is as big if not more. The defeats are as hard if not more!
Watch Burnley v Chelsea from 5pm on Saturday, live on Sky Sports Premier League; Kick-off at 5.30pm.
Sourse: skysports.com
