At the beginning of his career, Lampard, the manager of the Sky Blues, was on loan in South Wales.
Frank Lampard will be hopeful that his rising Coventry City team can move closer to a Premier League comeback when he takes the field at the CBS Stadium on Boxing Day.
Even though the Swansea City of today is quite different from the one he remembers with a clear degree of fondness, the team that handed the Chelsea great his first step in the world of professional football will stand in his way.
The young Lampard had already established himself as one of West Ham United’s most promising prospects back in 1995. However, he would later join a Swans team struggling at the bottom of what was then Division Three in the relatively unfamiliar environment of south Wales.
“I went to Swansea at 17,” he stated prior to Friday’s match between the two teams. “I spent a few months there. It taught me a lot about first-team football and its demands, and it was excellent for me. It also played a significant role in my early story of player development.
“I learned a lot about what genuine football is from the many seasoned pros there.
However, it was difficult. We were engaged in combat in the lower echelons of what is now League Two.
“I believe there were two or three thousand spectators at some of the games at the old Vetch Stadium, and it was a tense occasion. It was not Swansea as we know it now.
“The club was in a difficult moment, but I certainly felt the passion of Swansea and the football club, and what it wanted to be again.”
Before joining the Swans, Lampard had just recently passed his driving test. He acknowledges that he frequently split his time between SA1 and his home in Essex, but he did manage to get to know some of the more senior heads in the dressing room.
“The drive from Essex to Swansea was about four hours or so,” he stated. “I had never driven myself there before.
“I was back and forth a lot, but I spent most of my time there. I wanted to return as soon as possible to visit my family, take a day off, etc. I became aware that I was leaving home and being exposed to that. In fact, I stayed in a Swansea hotel.
“Robbie Dennison, an older player, and I shared a room. At the same time, he was on loan from Wolves. I was just starting out in my profession, and he was nearing the conclusion of his.
“We shared a room, so it was evident that there was a unique relationship between a little child and someone with so much experience.
“But he was very, very good about it, and very helpful to me.”
Lampard openly acknowledges that the Vetch’s rustic surroundings and facilities, together with the more direct and physical style of football that was waiting for him in the lower leagues at the time, were somewhat of a culture shock.
He does, however, think that his brief stint with the Swans gave him the foundation he needed to succeed and go on to win three Premier League titles and a Champions League trophy with Chelsa.
“I do remember the position of the club, going from West Ham, which was a Premier League club and going to a club that was financially stricken really at the time,” he said.
“The facilities at the training site were much different from those at the stadium, where we frequently trained. It was raining constantly, so you had to bring your own equipment, wash it, return, and trek across the park. The facilities were subpar.
However, in hindsight, it was a pretty positive thing for me since it helped me recognize many circumstances. Although we had decent enough amenities and it was very different, I wouldn’t say we were spoiled at West Ham.
“I simply gained a lot of knowledge about those topics, including actual, physical football. I tried to get used to the physical aspect of the game by spending a lot of time watching the ball go over my head.
“In retrospect, they were all positive things.
“I received excellent care. The club and the city welcomed me.
“It was a great experience for me.”
It’s evident that he still has passionate feelings for the Swans, and he anticipates a challenging match when Vitor Matos’ revamped team visits.
“I always have a little look out for them since those days,” he continued. “I believe it’s a strong club, and it’s clear that the management has lately changed.
However, in the last ten or so years, they have consistently tried to play football in the proper manner. It will be a difficult game, and the football team is good.”
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