How Chelsea legend Lampard suddenly became a City player

Frank Lampard is a name that every football fan knows well. His career is filled with unforgettable moments, but there’s one chapter that stands out as, well… just plain weird. And that’s where OlyBet.TV steps in to unravel the mystery!

While Lampard became a Chelsea legend, it’s worth noting he didn’t grow up a Blue. His football journey started at West Ham United – the same club where his father, Frank Sr., spent most of his career.

In 1994, Lampard Sr. joined West Ham as an assistant coach, and young Frank, then just a teenager, joined the youth ranks. Fast forward to January 1996: the 17-year-old Lampard made his Premier League debut, coming on as a substitute against Coventry City.

Over the next five seasons, Lampard cemented his place in West Ham’s lineup, making 187 appearances and scoring 39 goals. Then, in 2001, he moved to Chelsea, where his star shone even brighter. With 648 games and 211 goals, his stats speak for themselves – not to mention the countless trophies he helped the club win.

Infamous summer of 2014

But as they say, all good things must come to an end. In 2014, Chelsea announced that Lampard was among the players to be released. Lampard hinted that future decisions would be made after the 2014 World Cup. However, on June 3rd, Chelsea confirmed his departure.

And here’s where things get interesting. After a quiet month, rumors swirled about Lampard heading to the US. On July 24, 2014, it was announced he signed a two-year contract with New York City FC in the MLS.

But just a week later, the plot thickened: on August 3rd, Manchester City revealed that Lampard would join them on a six-month loan deal. “Starting next week, he’ll be training with us and stay until January,” City manager Manuel Pellegrini announced, leaving fans puzzled.

This bizarre move was made possible because NYCFC is co-owned by Manchester City, and the MLS season wouldn’t start until March 2015. That meant that Lampard was effectively in limbo – something that City took full advantage of.

Lampard, now wearing the number 18 like he did at West Ham, made his City debut on September 13th in a 2-2 draw against Arsenal. In a poetic twist, his first goal for City came against Chelsea – a volley that felt like a punch in the gut to Blues fans.

Over the next six months, he scored six goals in 17 appearances for City.

Christmas of outrage

But the drama wasn’t over. After Christmas, City announced that they’d extended Lampard’s contract until the end of the season, sparking outrage among NYCFC fans. They felt betrayed, as Lampard had been a central figure in the club’s promotional material. A fan group called the Third Rail issued a public statement expressing their anger, saying fans had been misled.

MLS Commissioner Don Garber also faced criticism for his handling of the situation but defended the decision, claiming that all player decisions were made by the club. His response, however, did little to calm the storm, as many fans pointed out MLS’s past involvement in high-profile player acquisitions.

To make matters worse, on January 1, 2015, Pellegrini hinted that Lampard could stay at City for another season, fueling even more fan outrage. How could this happen when contracts had already been signed?

Well, on January 9th, it all came to light: Lampard had never actually signed a formal contract with NYCFC. Instead, he had only agreed to a “head of terms commitment.”

City clarified that the July statement about Lampard’s two-year contract had been a mistake, and the claim that he was on loan had also been an error.

Pellegrini brushed off the drama, insisting, “It’s an issue that’s finished.” Lampard himself finally spoke up, explaining that his stay at City had been extended to keep him in top form for his eventual move to New York.

Final resolution

Finally, on January 10th, NYCFC announced that Lampard had officially signed a pre-contract with the MLS side, set to start on July 1st. After more than a year of delays, Lampard made his long-awaited debut for NYCFC on August 1st, 374 days after he supposedly signed.

In the meantime, he played 38 games for City, scoring eight goals. Ironically, it was one of the few seasons in the past 15 years where City failed to win a trophy – they finished second in the league, lost the Community Shield, and were knocked out early in the cup competitions and Europe.

Not that Lampard, a three-time Premier League champion and Champions League winner, needed any more silverware…