Frank Lampard has successfully silenced critics by leading Coventry to success. His journey from a doubted teenager to a respected figure in football is highlighted by his uncle's early support.
Key points
Frank Lampard has silenced his critics
He has led Coventry to success
Harry Redknapp defended him in 1996
West Ham fans doubted his inclusion
Nepotism accusations were prevalent
Mentioned in this story
Frank LampardHarry Redknapp
CoventryWest Ham
Frank Lampard has been proving doubters wrong for a very long time.
The West Ham fans' forum back in 1996 is now etched firmly into football folklore.
Harry Redknapp, Lampard's uncle, sat at a desk defending his nephew from fans who thought nepotism had earned him a place in the first team when he was still a teenager.
"I'm telling you now, he will go right to the very top," Redknapp insisted, firmly and decisively.
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Flashback to 1996 when Redknapp defended Lampard
Flashback to 1996 when Harry Redknapp told a West Ham fans forum that Frank Lampard would go 'right to the very top'. (Pictures courtesy of Vision Sport)
Of course Lampard did. He was arguably the greatest Premier League midfielder of his generation.
Retiring at the back end of a glittering career, he could have gone down any path. But his drive and determination drove him back into the game, and into management.
Coventry City is his fourth club, and fifth role overall. There has been more success in the past than naysayers will have you believe. There was Derby's journey to the play-offs, taking a Chelsea side under a transfer embargo to Champions League qualification, and keeping Everton in the Premier League.
Q&A
How did Frank Lampard prove his critics wrong?
Frank Lampard proved his critics wrong by successfully leading Coventry to a notable rise in performance and reputation.
What role did Harry Redknapp play in Frank Lampard's career?
Harry Redknapp, Lampard's uncle, defended him against early criticism and predicted his rise to the top of football.
What was the reaction of West Ham fans to Frank Lampard's inclusion in the team?
West Ham fans were skeptical about Frank Lampard's inclusion in the first team, believing it was due to nepotism.
When did Harry Redknapp defend Frank Lampard against critics?
Harry Redknapp defended Frank Lampard during a West Ham fans' forum in 1996, asserting his nephew's potential for success.
But this latest success, promotion with the Sky Blues, undoubtedly caps the lot. Taking over a club from one of the most popular and successful managers in their history in Mark Robins - who was sacked in November 2024 amid a tidal wave of fury from fans who have him down as a hero.
Lampard, off the back of things going sour at Everton, a miserable second spell at Chelsea - albeit as a caretaker - and more than a year out of the game, was not a well-received appointment.
It was time to prove himself again. And he has done just that. Lampard took them from 17th in the table into last season's play-offs - where they heartbreakingly lost to Sunderland in the semi-finals. And he has gone one better this year with automatic promotion.
The title awaits as well.
'I take bits from many managers I worked under'
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Frank Lampard tells Sky Sports about the managers he worked under as a player and what he took from them into his own career.
Lampard has worked under some of the greats of the game, and learned from all of them along the way.
"I take bits from many managers I worked under, from Harry Redknapp through to my time with England managers and others," he tells Sky Sports.
"Working under Jose Mourinho was an incredible experience. He was very hands on and emotional, strong tactically and in managing the group. Carlo Ancelotti was very calm and relaxed.
Coventry City head coach Frank Lampard applauds the fans following the Sky Bet Championship match at MKM Stadium, Hull
"I am probably somewhere in the middle. I also remember things I did not enjoy and try to learn from them. I aim to stay authentic.
"I can be intense and hands on, but I also try to give players some freedom. I did not enjoy feeling watched every second as a player and I try to avoid that with my squad.
"The best managers put players in their best positions, build the right balance and partnerships and give confidence. That confidence from the manager mattered to me as a player."
That more balanced approach has been key to Lampard's success at the CBS Arena.
There were times in his earlier managerial career where he veered a little too far away from his current calm and steady demeanour.
During his time at Derby you saw him celebrate wildly after their play-off semi-final win over Leeds. You will not see such things again now until the job is done.
What drives Frank is his self-motivation. He doesnât need the money, he doesnât need to be a manager. He wants to be a success. After how he was portrayed following his second spell at Chelsea and his time at Everton, itâs good to see him rebuilding his reputation and potentially taking a team to the Premier League on his own terms.
That has not been the case this time around. It certainly helped keep heads cool around their dip in form at the start of 2026 - when a position that had previously seemed unassailable for Coventry started to look in real jeopardy.
As others got carried away thinking things were unravelling, Lampard stayed level.
"It is important to stay calm in challenging moments but also to find the right reaction," he says.
"Winning brings its own pressure. Expectations rise, opponents work harder to stop what you do well and that is reflected in our goals record this season.
"I try to stay ahead of that mentally. Sometimes less is more. When the group is in a good place, I do not need to remind them every day what we are fighting for.
"When I speak, I want it to have impact."
'I have been through it before and worked under managers who understood how to get the tone right'
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Frank Lampard tells Sky Sports how he, the manager, would deal with himself as a player.
Back to that mid-season dip. It feels like a lifetime ago now, but there was a period of just two wins in eight games between late December and early February that saw them drop into second.
Lampard had to prove the doubters wrong again, and the response was remarkable.
Kicking off with that 3-1 win over Middlesbrough, they won six on the spin to reassert their authority over the league.
"Heâs a legend of the game and has achieved so much as a player and a manager. I actually worked with him briefly at Everton before he came to Coventry, so we already knew each other. Heâs a great manager and a very humble person. Heâs coached and played at the highest level. So you just want to listen, take everything in and try to apply it to your training and your games.â
The calmness at that point was key. The authority a figure like Lampard has - seen it all, done it all - essential to getting Coventry back on track.
"Not winning for a couple of games is normal in this league," he says. "It is too competitive for anyone to go through without a difficult spell.
"There is always frustration because we always want to win, but it was also important to recognise how well we had done overall.
"Externally, there will always be reaction and noise. That is fine. It is good experience for the players.
"I have been through it before and worked under managers who understood how to get the tone right. Ultimately, it is the players who go out and make it right on the pitch.
Coventry head coach Frank Lampard celebrates towards the Southampton fans at the end of the Championship match
"I did not sense any loss of belief after those games. There was frustration, but the belief remained. From where we were last season to where we are now, the group has grown and that belief is important, as long as it is matched with continued hard work.
"I do not have to overly motivate them now. They understand the demands."
It is those demands that have driven Coventry towards a remarkable promotion, and Lampard himself back to the pinnacle of English football.
He will be a welcome addition back to the Premier League. When he gets there, there will be scepticism again among observers about his ability to manage at that level.
But Lampard, like before, will commit himself to proving the doubters wrong. And you would be a brave figure to back against him doing it again.
