Frank Lampard, an English professional manager and former footballer is set to be announced as Everton new head coach on Monday, January 31 2020, after the final paperwork was concluded on a 2½-year contract.
The 43-year-old becomes the sixth managerial appointment since Farhad Moshiri came on board as the club’s major shareholder in 2016, two weeks after Rafael Benitez was dismissed from the role after just 200 days.
The makeup of Lampard’s backroom team was taking shape this weekend, with Paul Clement handed the role as Assistant Manager. Joe Edwards is expected to leave Chelsea and fitness coach Chris Jones is also set to come on board at Finch Farm. Positive talks were held with Anthony Barry, a very highly-rated coach himself, about making the move to Merseyside but he now looks likely to remain at Stamford Bridge.
Since calling time on a glittering career as a player with Chelsea, Lampard has had two stints as a manager, first at Derby County where he took the Rams to the brink of the Premier League but lost in the play-off final to Aston Villa, and then at Chelsea whom he guided to a 4th-place finish and an FA Cup Final in the 2019-20 season.
Lampard has been out of work for just over a year but according to those close to him, he has been keen to get back into management and has used the time off to reflect on his two previous roles while expanding his coaching knowledge.
He assumes responsibility for an Everton team that has won just one Premier League match in 14 games and has plummeted from the European qualification places in September to 16th to sit just four points above the relegation zone with 18 games left.
The club has moved in the background to address the most pressing issue Lampard will face, namely significant problems in central midfield where Abdoulaye Doucoure, Tom Davies and Fabian Delph are all sidelined for at least a month, by agreeing a loan deal with Manchester United for Donny van de Beek who will be the first signing under the new manager.
Lampard will take charge of training for the first time on Monday afternoon, with the FA Cup Fourth Round tie against Brentford his first assignment next weekend before a crucial trip to Newcastle in the Premier League on Tuesday next week.
