Frank Lampard is well aware of the prestige and passion of the rivalry between Everton and Liverpool as he prepares to take part in his first Merseyside Derby. The Blues boss said he grew up in awe of both sides as they fought for silverware throughout the 1980s. And he said he is constantly reminded of the importance of not just this game, but of Everton’s fortunes, to so many dedicated supporters.
Frank Lampard said: “I understand it, I have friends who are Evertonians. I have people I bump into. I bumped into a nice lady in London a couple of weeks ago who was an Evertonian… I understand it is a club steeped in history, that families and generations adore the club and just knowing football I understand what a win will mean for them. It is two fold for me. Firstly it is obviously the points. The points are so crucial for us. If we were sitting in eighth or tenth I could think about what this might mean, I could walk through the blue half of the city and it would be great the next day. At the moment I am just thinking about the points. It would be a great feeling to be able to give the fans that moment.”
Lampard said Blues supporters had enjoyed too few wins at Anfield such as the victory secured under Carlo Ancelotti last season. Speaking of the club’s history, he described his own childhood memories of the rivalry ahead of the Merseyside Derby
Frank Lampard added: “I was around seven years of age when Everton were winning league titles in the mid-80s. And I remember being a West Ham fan – it was a good period for them in the mid-80s, in 1985 they had a chance of being around the race. And it just felt like for a young boy growing up a West Ham fan in Essex it felt like there was a mystique and the level of the Liverpool clubs and there was a huge difference, a huge gap. It was a great era for football and I remember going to watch Liverpool play and going ‘wow’ it’s Kenny Dalglish. He was playing at the top end of football. I remember watching great Everton teams and people like Graeme Sharp, who obviously I work a bit with now, and Andy Gray and that incredible aggressive but quality Everton team and everything they created around it.”
Lampard said the “size and history” of Everton was a factor in his application for the job. And he is under no illusion that, as well as vying with Liverpool for points and pride, he is in a battle to maintain the club’s Premier League status – therefore securing two more Merseyside Derbies next season.
Frank Lampard said: “I came here to manage a great club and to manage in the Premier League. I understood the challenge and the fact that we were in a battle for that. This is where I like working and I know what it means to so many people in the city… this game is like a symbol of that. It comes round twice a year and I have an understanding of that.”
