Frank Lampard: 'Great Manager' Jose Mourinho Could Return to Premier League

Derby County manager and Chelsea legend Frank Lampard believes Jose Mourinho might one day return to the Premier League after he was sacked by Manchester United on Tuesday.

Mourinho has now been fired from his last three positions at United, Chelsea and Real Madrid. His reputation is tarnished, but Lampard believes the tactician could return to England's top flight in future and told reporters:

"Possibly. It's Jose Mourinho. Anything can happen.

"He'll be wanted because he's a great manager and because of what he has done in the game.

"It's up to him now - he can take a rest. Maybe he deserves a little rest for a while because of the pressure up there, I'm not sure that would've been nice, the pressure from the outside.

United fired Mourinho amid growing tensions at Old Trafford and a lack of consistent results, although Sky Sports Statto depicted his stay as a largely successful one overall:

Mourinho's reputation is at a low point. It's been more than 18 months since he won the UEFA Europa League with United—his most recent trophy as a manager—and leaves with the club in sixth place in the Premier League.

There has been frenzied speculation as to where Mourinho could go next if he intends to keep managing at all, though Lampard was assured in that regard, adding: "But he's a driven man and will be back in the game, whether it's in the Premier League or world football. And it will be at the top too, because he is a top manager."

It was under "The Special One" that Lampard enjoyed many of his prime years and arguably produced the best football of his career, not to mention winning the first two of his three Premier League titles with Mourinho.

That being said, the 106-times capped ex-England international wasn't blind to the fact it's often managers who face punishment for poor results, having himself now moved into the dugout, via Sky Sports:

Mourinho's fractious relationship with Paul Pogba has been a public point of his tenure, but Lampard said his old manager gave him a "huge amount of confidence," which goes against suggestions he isn't a motivating personality.

Long-standing rival Pep Guardiola also backed Mourinho to make a return to football's top level, whether in the Premier League or elsewhere, per Simon Bajkowski of the Manchester Evening News:

It's safe to assume Lampard had some hand in Mourinho's sacking at United after his Derby team knocked the Red Devils out of the Carabao Cup, winning 8-7 on penalties at Old Trafford in September after a 2-2 draw.

The Premier League is commonly regarded as football's entertainment epicentre if nothing else, but there's little telling how the stars would need to align for Mourinho to settle at a third Premier League club in future.