Willian Says Frank Lampard Would Be 'Up to the Task' of Being Chelsea Manager

Chelsea forward Willian expects Blues "legend" Frank Lampard to be a big success at the club should he take over as manager.

Since it was confirmed Maurizio Sarri would be leaving Stamford Bridge to join Juventus earlier in June, the former Chelsea midfielder has been strongly linked with a return to the north London club to succeed the Italian as head coach.

Willian is one of the longest-serving players at Chelsea and spent time in the same team as Lampard at Stamford Bridge. The Brazilian said he would expect the Derby County boss to have a big influence from the dugout if he were to get the job.

"He is a legend," Willian told Jack Lang of Football.London. "He was an extraordinary player for the club, winning every possible title. He deserves so much respect and backing for what he has already achieved at the club. If Chelsea do bring him in, he will be very welcome."

Despite his excitement at working with Lampard, Willian is unsure whether a deal has been agreed between the club and its all-time top goalscorer.

"Is he definitely going to be the next manager? I don't know," the 30-year-old said. "But I think he would be up to the task. He was a great player, and he is a great person. He's only starting his managerial career now, but he has everything it takes to be a success."

Per Soccer AM, Lampard said earlier in his football career that he had dreams of becoming Chelsea manager:

Squawka Football summed up why the midfielder is considered one of the best players to ever represent Chelsea:

While a deal has not been confirmed by Chelsea, Derby recently revealed they had granted Lampard permission to speak with the Blues about the vacancy. According to Matt Law of the Daily Telegraph, the Premier League side will pay the Rams £4 million in compensation for their manager.

After only one year in senior management, taking over at Chelsea would be a huge step up for Lampard. While he impressed in 2018-19 with Derby—Lampard guided the team to the Championship playoff final, where they lost to Aston Villa—managing a team expected to compete for major honours is a huge challenge.

Additionally, the Blues are serving a ban that prevents them from registering new players for the next two transfer windows. They also sold star man Eden Hazard to Real Madrid.

Bleacher Report's Dean Jones thinks expectations will be lower for the Blues in 2019-20 as a result:

Even so, supporters will be delighted to see a Chelsea icon return to Stamford Bridge. Based on Willian's words, there's no doubt he will have the respect of all the players in the dressing room should he step in.