Lampard still wants more from in-form Abraham
Chelsea boss Frank Lampard says Tammy Abraham deserved his call-up to the England senior squad – and now he wants to see more from the striker.
Abraham netted his eighth Premier League goal this season, and ninth across all competitions, as the Blues thumped Southampton 4-1.
It capped a whirlwind week for the 22-year-old who, days earlier, scored his first-ever Champions League goal before being named in Gareth Southgate’s squad.
Lampard said: “When people are in good form things happen for them, or they generally have moments, and for me that comes from how Tammy has handled himself all season.
“From the early moments of pre-season, and the start of the season when people were questioning him in different ways. The work ethic behind the scenes that gets him in such good nick, he is not just an incredible handful for defenders.
“He is running at them, he is holding the ball up, he is controlling it, he has got good feet [and] he is getting his goals which is brilliant for him.”
But Lampard reiterated that Abraham cannot afford to rest on his laurels following a terrific start to the campaign.
“He has to keep that [form] going because competition is key and, over the course of the season, we will need everybody,” Lampard said.
“But he has deserved the great week he has had, he has deserved the great start to the season he has had and I will keep on him because I want more.”