Everton have appointed former Chelsea boss Frank Lampard as their manager on a two-and-a-half-year contract, the Premier League club said on Monday.
Everton sacked Rafa Benitez this month after a 2-1 defeat at Norwich City left the Merseyside club six points above the relegation zone.
“I’m very hungry to get started. After speaking to the owner, chairman and the board, I very much felt their passion and ambition. I hope they felt my ambition and how hard I want to work to bring it together,” Lampard said in a statement.
“You can feel the passion Everton fans have for their club. That will be hugely important. As a team – the competitive level that the Premier League brings and the position we are in the table – we certainly need that.
“It’s a two-way thing. I think Everton is a unique club in that you can really understand what the fans want to see. The first thing they want is fight and desire and that must always be our baseline.”
Lampard, 43, started his coaching career at second-tier Derby County in 2018 and after one season in charge he became manager of Chelsea, the club he helped to win several major trophies in 13 years as a player.