Frank Lampard is Chelsea’s new manager and I, as a Chelsea fan, am shaking with excitement.
The 41-year-old is taking a big leap in his managerial career as he aims to steady what appears to be a constantly rocking ship.
While his task in unenviable, his return will be met with universal support from the Chelsea fans – something the club has been missing for two years now.
Growing up as a Chelsea fan, Frank Lampard was my king. My God.
He was the man I pretended to be on the playground as I tried to smash one in from six yards out, only to come closer to breaking the Geography department’s windows.
From his chest and volley against Bayern Munich to his chip at the Nou Camp, everything Frank Lampard did was something I would try to replicate.
Yes, there was John Terry, there was even Petr Cech and Gianfranco Zola but Lampard outshone even them.
He was beyond legendary, he was Mr Chelsea and, in Terry’s words, ‘The greatest player to play for Chelsea Football Club’
He immortalised himself to the adoring Chelsea masses for 13 years as a player and now he’s back in the hot seat.
And that seat is red hot.
A lot of cynics are writing Super Frank off before he’s even gotten started.
‘It’s too soon’ and ‘Gone by Christmas’ are the generic tweets surrounding Lamaprd’s return to Stamford Bridge.
I don’t think any Chelsea fan is expecting him to bring the Premier League back to west London this season, but we will surely enjoy this season more than the last.
While this appointment has been met with expected criticism, that’s not to say it’ll be a disaster.
Chelsea have got through 14 managers since 2003 and are the most successful English club in that time.
Maurizio Sarri was seen as a risk and even he pulled in silverware so what’s to say Lampard won’t do the same?
That is the same Sarri who left fans calling for his head after a season of alienation from the fans.
Now, though, Chelsea fans have a manager who knows the club better than anyone else.
A man who won everything there was to win at the club.
He and Jody Morris have been around the youth teams for years so there is no-one better suited to bleed in the youngsters during the transfer ban.
But above all else, Lampard is a Chelsea fan.
It will be refreshing to see us Chelsea fans get behind our team and our manager.
Antonio Conte, despite his success, never appeared to have a full grip of the dressing room and his relationship with the fans died in his second season.
Even Jose Mourinho couldn’t stop the handles flying off during his second spell and the less said about Maurizio Sarri, the better.
But with Lampard in charge, the fans will be able to feel an affinity with the club they haven’t felt since the 04/05 Mourinho days.
Whatever the future holds for the man I love and the club I love, us Chelsea fans need to enjoy this ride.
It is the first time in my living memory that Chelsea have hired on emotion rather than pragmatism.
I just hope we end up with a Zinedine Zidane, not an Ole Gunnar Solskjaer.
No matter where the next three years take us, you’ll always be our number one.
Over to you, Frank.