“I can tell you here now: He will go right to the top, right to the very top. Hes got everything thats needed to be a top midfield player. His attitude is first class, hes got strength, he can play, he can pass it and he can score goals,” prophesized Harry Redknapp. Its fall 1996, a West Ham supporters summit and a clearly agitated Redknapp had just been taken to task for selecting then-18-year old Frank Lampard ahead of other more experienced players. Lampard had made his debut in West Hams starting XI away to Arsenal just a few months earlier. Substituted in a losing cause, Lampard would feature in only 13 matches during that 1996-97 campaign. It was a season in which he picked up more yellow cards than he scored goals. Redknapp knew full well even back then West Ham had unearthed a gem. So likely did his assistant coach and ex-teammate at West Ham, Frank Lampard Sr. Playing in an era of outrageously inflated transfer prices Chelsea manager Claudio Ranieri was astute back in the summer of 2001 to pay West Ham £11m [$20m CAD] to acquire Lampards services. "Hopefully I can test myself against the best players in Europe and we can contest for trophies,” Lampard was quoted as saying at the time. Three Premier League titles, four FA Cups, a Europa League and Champions League crown later, Lampard has decided his Chelsea playing days are now behind him and on his own terms. Although still under contract until June 30, the clubs all-time leading scorer (211 goals) made the announcement to coincide with Englands arrival into Miami. Lampard wants to be fully focused on what will be his third World Cup Finals. Amassing close to 600 appearances, only two players have ever appeared more times in a Chelsea shirt. over the course of his 13 seasons Lampard is without exception one of Chelseas greatest ever players. Not wanting to name him their best ever, the tribute on the clubs web site strongly implied Lampard was their best ever midfield player. It was Lampard who scored both goals in the game against Bolton in April 2005 which handed Chelsea their first title in exactly 50 years. Breaking the club scoring record which had stood for over four decades towards the very end of the 2012-13 season Lampards most important goal for the club occurred in the second leg of the 2008 Champions League semi-final in a game against arch-rivals Liverpool, which I was very privileged to attend. Lampard was not even expected to play that day. He had recently missed a pair of Premier League games to be at the bedside of his gravely ill mother, who sadly passed away a few days after the first leg. Play though he did, the Chelsea players wore black arm bands in memory of Lampards mother. The tie was very delicately poised after the first leg at Anfield had finished 1-1. Chelsea with the away goal were slight favourites going in, but Liverpool had got the better of Chelsea twice at this stage in 2005 and 2007. Didier Drogba opened the scoring, for Fernando Torres to level it just after the hour mark. Extra time loomed, it was a very highly charged Stamford Bridge. Less than 10 minutes into extra time after Michael Ballack was bought down in the area Chelsea were awarded a penalty. Up stood Frank Lampard. Hands on his hips, he stood at the edge of the box and waited for what must have seemed like an eternity as Liverpool goalkeeper Pepe Reina did his best to delay and distract. Lampard was having none of it. The ref blew the whistle, and with that trademarked run up to the ball he sent Reina the wrong way as he slotted the ball into the far right corner. Lampard took off for the opposite corner flag, and took with him the hearts of the 40,000 plus Chelsea supporters inside Stamford Bridge. As he got close to the corner flag he slowed down to remove his black arm band, then with his hands covering his face Lampard slumped to his knees. Joined by his teammates, there was no celebration when Lampard emerged with all emotion completely drained from his face. On running back to the halfway line Lampard looked up in the direction of where his dad and other members of his family were gathered. He waved and blew a kiss to them. The match finished 3-2 and Chelsea were off to their first Champions League Final. Away from the pitch Lampard is an all-too-rare breed when it comes to English footballers. Intelligent, staunchly working class, he attended a private high school where he was one of the more promising students. Not everyone aced Latin, Lampard did. In 2009 Chelsea conducted IQ tests on the playing squad. Although the club did not officially reveal the results it was reported Lampard scored over 150. That places him in Bill Gates territory. In March this year Lampard launched the BPLs annual childrens reading challenge held each season in conjunction with the National Literary Trust. Lampard disclosed his favorite book was a biography on U.S. President Abraham Lincoln... All 900 pages of it. Lampard the family man was also to surface shortly after 2009s highly published break-up with his fiancée, Elen Rives the mother of his two children. A London radio station talk show host openly criticized Lampard on the basis of a newspaper article which had quoted Rives. So incensed by the inaccuracy of the hosts comments Lampard called in live to the show and put the record straight in a conversation which lasted 10 minutes. I cant imagine there would be too many other BPL players who would take such initiative. Petra Cech referred to Lampard as one of the most influential players of all time in the Premier League. Make that on and off the pitch. Hell be dearly missed at Chelsea. When he met the press ahead of Englands World Cup tune-up on Wednesday he said he would return to Stamford Bridge to attend matches. Lampard lives within walking distance to the ground. Abramovich has offered to keep a job open for him. On June 20 Lampard will turn 36. Having already played Italy and Uruguay by then, Englands fate in the group stage may already have been decided. Lampard will walk away from the international arena at the conclusion of Englands World Cup. Chelsea, and Englands loss will be MLS gain. Noel Butler can be reached at: Noel.Butler@BellMedia.ca Twitter: @TheSoccerNoel TSN Radio is an official licensed radio broadcaster of the 2014 FIFA World Cup Brazil. Action gets underway Thursday, June 12 with Brazil vs. Croatia. Kick Off is at 4pm et /1pm pt. 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Wholesale Nike Shoes Black Friday .B. -- Canadas Rachel Homan opened the Ford Womens World Curling Championship with a 7-5 win over Russia on Saturday.FIVE QUICK NBA THOUGHTS 1. KEVIN DURANT VS. LEBRON JAMES: Lots of attention for Wednesdays game matching up the two best players in the world. As I said last week, KD gets my slight edge as the MVP this year but you cant go wrong with either guy. Above and beyond the wonderful skills and smarts that both guys possess the thing I respect about both is their sheer passion and love for the game and their respect for the fact that youve got to pay the price and continue to improve yourself every season as a player. Both continue to grow/blossom as players, adding new elements to their skill set each year. The old line about input equalling output is so true in the case of these two men. Strong work ethic and dedication to their craft. Enjoy watching. 2. INDIANA PACERS: Caught some of their game last night at the Lakers and theyve got a wonderful defence but the thing that has really impressed me with the return of Danny Granger is the unselfishness and value of team play offensively. Everyone is involved and the ball finds the right guy at the right spot. Six players were in double figures last night and Luis Scola had eight points. They can shut down your offence big-time and the versatility and balance of their offence is a nice luxury to have. 3. ANTHONY DAVIS (Hornets): Folks, hes breaking out. This man can truly play. On Tuesday night he gets 30 points, seven rebounds and eight blocks vs. the Cavs. Injuries have been the only thing that have derailed his progress in his first two seasons. If this guy played in a major market youd be hearing about him every day with his upside. Hes a nifty passer as well with really nice ball skills and good understandinng of team play.dddddddddddd If he stays healthy, hes going to emerge in the next few seasons as one of the best big men in the game for a long time. 4. BRADLEY BEAL & JOHN WALL (Wizards): Caught some of their game on Tuesday against the Warriors (stayed up late watching a bunch of West Coast hoops) and when these two young guards play together and are healthy they are special. Against the explosive back court of Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson they more than held their own with 35 points, 15 rebounds, nine assists and four steals. The Wizards are an intriguing team in the East and having a veteran like Trevor Ariza having a nice season on the perimeter for them they can produce points pretty consistently. Against a pretty good defensive team that also puts great offensive pressure on you, this was a good road win for the Wiz. Guard play wins lots of games and theyve got it. 5. DAVID STERN: Bottom line, every player, coach, executive, owner, broadcaster, and support staff member of each NBA team and all the members of the NBA media as well as countless loyal basketball fans around the world should raise a glass and toast the career and legacy of this commissioner. He was the best ever in NBA history and arguably the best ever in professional sports. Not the most warm and fuzzy guy on earth but the man delivered the goods for everyone. The game, attention on the sport and the coverage it creates and gets are overwhelmingly better than theyve ever been. You need a man with vision, leadership skills and a thick skin to get the job done and he got the job done in an impressive way. Cheers! Were all better for the legacy he leaves behind. ' ' '