LONDON: Frank Lampard has followed captaining Chelsea to Europa League success by signing a one-year contract extension with Chelsea.
After a season of uncertainty over the midfielder’s future, the Blues have confirmed that the England midfielder will remain at Stamford Bridge next season.
Lampard joined from West Ham in 2001 for £11m and has scored a club-record 203 goals in his 12 seasons in west London.
“I’m absolutely delighted,” Lampard said in a statement on the official Chelsea website. “Everybody knows I always maintained the dream was to stay at Chelsea. We’ve been talking for ages and even though it went on for quite a period it was always amicable.
“I want to thank Mr [Roman] Abramovich for everything he’s done in making the dream a reality. I love this club, the staff, the players and especially the supporters, who have treated me fantastically since the day I arrived.
“The thought of helping the club to more success in the forthcoming years is all I ever wanted. I couldn’t be happier.”
Chelsea chief executive Ron Gourlay said: “Frank has been an important player for Chelsea Football Club for a long time and has played a significant part in the club’s success. We have been talking to him since the end of last year and our discussions have been entirely positive throughout.
“We are delighted we are now announcing an extension to his contract which will keep him at the club until 2014.”
Lampard is the third-highest appearance-maker in Chelsea’s history with 607 appearances and next season will be his 13th at Stamford Bridge after joining from West Ham in 2001.
He recently surpassed Bobby Tambling’s 202 goals for the club by scoring both goals in a 2-1 win at Aston Villa.
During his time at Chelsea, Lampard has won the Champions League, the Premier League title on three occasions, the FA Cup four times and the League Cup twice. On Wednesday, he added the Europa League after Chelsea’s 2-1 win over Benfica in Amsterdam.
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