Izuchukwu Okosi
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Everton Football Club on Monday appointed former Chelsea manager, Frank Lampard as new head coach on a two-and-a-half-year deal.
The 41-year-old who last coached his former playing club Chelsea replaces Rafael Benitez, who was sacked earlier this month after one win in 13 games.
It is Lampard’s first job since he was sacked by Chelsea a year ago with Thomas Tuchel taking his role.
“It is a huge honour for me to represent and manage a club with the size and tradition of Everton,” Lampard said in his forest Everton interview.
“I’m very hungry to get started,” the Chelsea legend added.
Lampard’s first match in charge will be Saturday’s FA Cup fourth-round tie against Brentford at Goodison Park.
His first signing at Everton is expected to be Manchester United midfielder Donny van de Beek, who is set to join the Toffees on loan for the rest of the season.
Former Chelsea and Manchester City player Lampard, who won 106 caps for England, is tasked with keeping Everton in the top-flight as the club are 16th and just four points above the relegation zone.
Lampard said he felt the “passion and ambition” of owner Farhad Moshiri, chairman Bill Kenwright and the Everton board in talks over the role.
“I hope they felt my ambition and how hard I want to work to bring it together.
“You can feel the passion Everton fans have for their club – that will be hugely important.
“As a team – the competitive level that the Premier League brings and the position we are in the table – we certainly need that. It’s a two-way thing.
Izuchukwu Okosi is a Nigerian sports and entertainment journalist with two decades of experience in the media industry having begun his media journey in 2002 as an intern at Mundial Sports International (MSI) and Africa Independent Television (AIT), owners of Daar Communications Plc.
