Former Everton manager Frank Lampard has singled out Everton captain Seamus Coleman for praise following his brief spell at Goodison Park.
Lampard was appointed manager at Goodison Park in January 2022 but only lasted a year after an appalling record of 12 wins from 44 games (D8, L24).
The Chelsea legend was tasked with navigating a challenging time for the Toffees, and he succeeded in keeping the club in the Premier League during his initial six-month spell.
Much was expected from Lampard in his first full season in charge at Goodison Park, but his tenure went remarkably off-script, culminating in his premature departure in January 2023.
Reminiscing on his time in Merseyside, Lampard recalled how Coleman reacted to scathing criticism from Sky Sports pundit Jamie Carragher, who slammed the players for not being good enough.
As per the ex-Chelsea manager, Coleman took the criticism as fuel to motivate his teammates, encouraging them to raise their game, which ultimately led to a significant turning point.
“Seamus is amazing,” Lampard told The Overlap. “It wasn’t just what he did on the pitch it was what he did off the pitch – his standards, his humility, everything about him.
“We spoke about you [Carragher] once at one point because you had a dig on Monday Night Football and said we’re not good enough – he used you as a reference point.
“It was a bit of a turning point for us – he was always the man to do that.”
Everton are not far off from where they were when Lampard left the club, with the Toffees still grappling with relegation under Sean Dyche’s leadership.
Several circumstances have led to their current predicament, particularly their issues with the Premier League’s profit and sustainability rules that have already seen the club docked ten points.
Several key players, including Amadou Onana and Abdoulaye Doucoure, have already been linked with an exit amid the club’s financial turmoil.