As Chelsea FC legend Frank Lampard finally sets sail for the United States, he’ll now have another medal to show his American colleagues after being made an Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE).
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Lampard receives the honour in the Queen’s Birthday Honours List and is rewarded for his services to British sport.
‘I am delighted to receive this huge honour,’ said the Englishman, who appeared 648 times for the Blues.
‘I feel very fortunate to have had such a long and fulfilling career in football. This is an extremely proud moment for myself and my family.’
The midfielder should really need no introduction, but for the sake of professionalism here’s one anyway…
The 36 year old joined Chelsea in 2001 for £11 million, going on to play for the club for 13 seasons. He won three league titles, four FA Cups, two League Cups, one Europa League and a Champions League while also becoming the Blues’ all-time leading scorer (211 goals). Now he can add an OBE to that list.
With regards to representing his country, he appeared 106 times for England, and is widely regarded as one of the best midfielders in the history of English football.
The best bit about this award, though, is the fact that it gives him a victory over Steven Gerrard.
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Gerrard was made a Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) back in 2007, also for services to sport, but Lampard’s award out-ranks that of the former Liverpool centre-mid providing petty ammunition for Chelsea fans everywhere.
I mean surely it’ll only be a matter of time before overly worked-up Lampard supporters start bringing in the ‘Lampard’s got an OBE, Gerrard’s only a MBE’ argument.
Meanwhile, the man himself is enjoying a holiday in the south of France having wrapped things up with Manchester City. His next stop is New York, where he’ll play for New York City FC (albeit three months overdue) in the MLS, and boy do they need him.
The new franchise have won just two of their 14 games and find themselves firmly rooted at the bottom of the MLS Eastern Conference. With the quality that Lampard evidently still possesses, there is no doubt that he’ll immediately lift both the club as well as attendances.
As for now, Lampard can relax in the sun and celebrate the honour of joining the likes of Bobby Moore and David Beckham as an OBE.
Created by King George V in 1917, the Order of the British Empire ‘recognises distinguished service to the arts and sciences, public services outside the Civil Service and work with charitable and welfare organisations of all kinds.’
For more information on the British honours system, check out this BBC News guide here.
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