Lampard appointed Coventry head coach

Coventry is Frank Lampard's fifth role in football management after Derby, two stints at Chelsea and Everton

Former Chelsea and England midfielder Frank Lampard has been appointed head coach of Championship club Coventry City on a two-and-a-half-year deal.

Lampard, 46, takes over with the club 17th in the Championship table, two points above the relegation places.

He replaces the long-serving Mark Robins, who was sacked after seven years in charge earlier this month, and becomes the first new appointment made by Sky Blues owner Doug King since he completed his takeover in January 2023.

The Coventry job will be Lampard's fifth in management, following spells at Derby County, Everton and two stints with Chelsea.

He has worked largely in the media since his last role, as interim manager at Stamford Bridge, ended in May 2023.

Lampard's first match in charge of the Sky Blues will be at home to Cardiff City on Saturday.

Joe Edwards and Chris Jones will be part of his backroom team, but first-team coach George Boateng has left the club.

“I am delighted that Frank Lampard has agreed to join our club as head coach," said Coventry owner King.

"Frank cut his teeth in the Championship and knows what is needed in this league to be successful.

“His experiences thereafter at Chelsea and Everton will ensure he brings to our talented squad clear understanding of exactly what is needed to succeed at the very top level that we as a club are striving to reach.”

Lampard is the son of former West Ham United legend, and twice-capped England left-back, Frank senior. He is also nephew of another Hammers great, and former boss, Harry Redknapp.

After making his Football League debut in October 1995 on loan at Swansea City, Lampard played his first senior game for West Ham as a 17-year-old - against Coventry - in January 1996.

His career took off spectacularly when he left east London for Chelsea for £11m in July 2001.

Lampard made 649 of his 904 career appearances for Chelsea, winning 11 major trophies in 13 years at Stamford Bridge and scoring 211 goals - the most in the club's history.

Lampard's last stint in management was as interim boss of Chelsea in 2023

Lampard's time in the dugout

After Chelsea, he had a season at Manchester City, under Manuel Pellegrini, and one campaign in America with MLS side New York City.

Following his official retirement as a player in February 2017, Lampard began his managerial career in the Championship with Derby County in the summer of 2018.

He almost guided the Rams to promotion in his first season, only to lose 2-1 to Aston Villa in the play-off final at Wembley in May 2019 - but it was enough to attract his former club Chelsea.

Just 38 days later, he returned to Chelsea as manager on a three-year contract.

He did so, giving consistent senior opportunities to the likes of Tammy Abraham, Mason Mount, Reece James and Fikayo Tomori as they finished fourth in his first season in charge.

But the closest he came to winning a trophy was losing to Arsenal in the 2020 FA Cup final - and, despite a 52% win ratio, he was sacked in January 2021 and replaced by Thomas Tuchel.

Lampard returned to the Premier League a year later when he was appointed by Everton and managed to secure their top-flight status at the end of the 2021-22 season.

But his spell on Merseyside lasted just under 12 months, when he was sacked in January 2023.

He then returned to Chelsea again as interim boss two months later for the final few weeks of the 2022-23 season after the departure of Graham Potter, but lost eight of his 11 games in charge and won only once.

Can Lampard conjure up some magic? - analysis

BBC CWR sports editor Rob Gurney:

Frank Lampard is Doug King’s choice. Now he has to deliver a return to football’s top table for the first time in a quarter of a century.

His profile is just what the owner wants - bringing the name of Coventry City Football Club into the psyche of people outside the game.

And the Lampard contacts book brings with it an expectation that he’ll be able to conjure up something hitherto missing from this group of players to take that extra step that Mark Robins couldn’t.

Until January though he has to get a tune out of an underachieving, underperforming squad and work out his priorities for that next transfer window.

Getting Derby to the Championship play-off final was an achievement. But, just like his Sky Blues predecessor, Lampard couldn’t quite revisit the promised land.

Not a universally popular appointment with Sky Blues fans but going forward together, rather than divided, has to be the right approach now.