‘He never hid…. I love that’: Frank Lampard praises Jorginho as Chelsea midfielder gets fan recognition after difficult start to life at the club
- Frank Lampard heaped praise on Jorginho for how he handled the tough times
- The Italian midfielder was jeered back in February but has changed fan opinion
- His name was chanted by supporters during last weekend’s win against Norwich
Frank Lampard praised ‘leader’ Jorginho for never hiding when the going got tough for him at Chelsea after he found himself centre of attention at Norwich last week.
For the first time in his Chelsea career Jorginho’s name rang out among the Blues’ supporters as they serenaded him at Carrow Road.
The first signs of adulation represented some turnaround for the Italian who was jeered when he came off the bench against Malmo in February’s Europa League tie.
Jorginho has been singled out for praise by Frank Lampard for dealing with tough times
The Chelsea boss was aware of the jeers Jorginho faced earlier this year and praised his efforts
Jorginho’s attempts to endear himself to the Stamford Bridge faithful were not helped by the perception he was a favourite of Maurizio Sarri, Chelsea’s manager who was predominantly unpopular himself for most of his only season in charge last term.
Sarri adjusting the position of fans’ favourite N’Golo Kante to accommodate Jorginho also did not help.
Having had to prove his worth to doubters who believed he only broke into West Ham’s team because his uncle Harry Redknapp was manager and dad Frank Senior was the assistant, Chelsea manager Lampard could certainly empathise with the situation Jorginho found himself in last season.
Jorginho has continued to keep his head down and Lampard praised the fact he ‘never hid’
There were critics for Lampard to win round when he played for England too.
He said: ‘As a top player, which I think he is, there are lots of moments where you have to deal with something where you feel it’s unjust.
‘I had those at West Ham and with England. Not hiding from the ball is the key element: believe in yourself, stand up and play. That’s what he does. He never hid. I love that. When Jorginho goes on the pitch he wants to win and contribute.
‘I see a really good player who is a leader in the group. I’m delighted the fans sung his name in Norwich.
‘Fans are generally pretty honest. What they’re seeing is a player, now, who has a drive, has a determination as a team player. I’m seeing that.
‘He also has quality, can change a game, lead a game, own a game from midfield areas.
‘He’s a fantastic sportsman who cares deeply. When you have a training session where standards drop, he’s the one who drives it up again.’
Lampard feels the Italian is a ‘leader in the group’ and has the quality to change matches
