Of late, the veteran Chelsea and England midfielder Frank Lampard has been in terrific form.
As well as scoring the winner for his country in a surprise 2-1 victory at Wembley against Brazil, he has managed to find the net for the Blues 12 times this season, making him one of their star performers.
However, all hasn’t been well for the 34-year-old.
In the past few months, there has been endless speculation over his departure from Stamford Bridge.
His current contract expires in July, and with oligarch owner Roman Abramovich keen to bring in younger players, it seemed like Lampard was likely to make way for new blood.
However, his performances could have done enough to merit a contract extension.
To be Frank…
Although there’s nothing concrete, there are a few signs that Lampard could prolong his stay at Chelsea.
Playing alongside promising yet inexperienced stars such as Eden Hazard and Oscar, he could be a positive dressing room influence, while he could easily keep playing at the highest level for another year at least.
“The penny’s finally dropped for Abramovich and it looks like Frank will be as prominent as ever in the Chelsea team next year”, said Jessica Bridge from Ladbrokes who have him at 2/1 to end his career at Chelsea.
He’s at 1/5 to carry on playing after his current deal expires, while 7/2 is the price on him retiring at the end of the season.
What next?
If he does stay at Chelsea, there’s every chance that Lampard could continue his international career, making his chances of winning 100 caps very strong (1/16 with the bookmaker).
If he doesn’t stay, he won’t be short of offers in England and overseas, with many clubs looking to add someone with experience and star power.
This article has been written by Ladbrokes.
This post was last modified on 21/02/2013