Every superstar starts off as a youngster who may be intimidated by his older teammates and the pressure of massive expectations. In Frank Lampard’s case that time was when he arrived at Chelsea FC from West Ham United carrying the weight of an £11m fee and the expectations of being the next big thing.
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Even if that fee seems quaint by today’s standards, in 2001 it was still a hefty price (especially considering that this was before the injection of cash from billionaire owner Roman Abramovich). Lampard recently spoke to ChelseaFC.com about that period and he discussed which player in a dressing room full of stars such as Eiður Guðjohnsen, Marcel Desailly, and Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink truly inspired him:
"If you want me to name just one who really inspired and helped me then it would be Gianfranco Zola. I came to Chelsea as quite a shy boy and it was for a big fee – I’m not sure I felt that comfortable in the dressing room straight away because of the big names around me.Zola took me under his wing. He was 35 and established as a world-class player, and I was fascinated by the way he trained, practised his free-kicks daily and was always the last on the training ground. He was a gentleman off the pitch and I thought that was how I’d like to be if I could ever get anywhere near what he’s done in the game."
Is it any surprise that Zola was the one who took Lampard under his wing and inspired him? The Italian magician was the heart and soul of Chelsea for seven years from 1996 to 2003 and was the world-class player that carried the Blues to six trophies during his stay in London. In addition to being an excellent player, Gianfranco Zola has proven time and time again that he is an excellent person as well.
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All of his teammates speak highly of him and the players he managed have always had positive things to say about him. While Frank Lampard has certainly surpassed Zola in terms of goals and achievements at the club it is hard to find a more beloved figure among the supporters than the Italian midfielder.
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Zola was so highly-regarded at the club that his number 25 has yet to be given to another player since his departure in 2003. Furthermore, he was voted the club’s best ever player by the fans.
Even Lampard and Didier Drogba saw their numbers taken over by Oscar within a year or two of their departure but no player has worn the 25 in over a decade. The club has never officially retired the number but it would take a truly remarkable player to be given that honor. Juan Mata and Eden Hazard have both been compared to Zola at the height of their powers but neither have been able to match his production on the field and his importance to the fans off it.
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