Frank Lampard believes Lewis Hall has a bright future at Chelsea.
The interim manager gave the young midfielder-turned-left-back a second start in consecutive matches as Manchester City won 1-0 at the Etihad Stadium.
It was another disappointing day for the Blues despite the 18-year-old’s positive display. Hall created Chelsea’s best chance, a header for Conor Gallagher which crashed against the post, and also saw a shot well saved by Stefan Ortega.
Lampard, who gave the likes of Mason Mount, Reece James and Armando Broja their debuts during his first spell, lauded the latest Cobham academy graduate.
The 44-year-old said: “We certainly rate him. Joe [Edwards] and Andy [Myers], who work with me, have a better understanding of him as a lad and all those things are important as well.
“He’s a quiet lad, the first thing that I’ve seen, he definitely needs to come out of himself a little bit more. I’m not asking him to change his personality but in footballing terms to affect people around him.
“In terms of quality on the ball, that’s really clear. In terms of quality, if you see him with the ball and the things he can do, he’s got the levels, he’s obviously got to add to that as he goes along.
“Another academy one that we’ve produced and it will be good to see him in regular games at this level to be tested more but he’s shown he can do that. I know he played well at City earlier in the year and I think against [Riyad] Mahrez, one of the best wingers in the league, one versus one, he joined in.
“He gets his chance at the top end of the pitch. He’s a good player, Lewis, he’s a good player and I thought he did really well. Amongst some other individuals in the game that did well.”
Lampard also explained why Carney Chukwuemeka, withdrawn from England’s Under-20s World Cup squad to help Chelsea’s injury crisis, was only given 19 minutes off the bench.
“I was a player for 20 years, it didn’t go my way every time. When you’re a young player you have to wait your time or there are moments where you just have to understand.
“A lot is going on with Carney where he’s been here, I’m not the first manager he hasn’t got loads of minutes under. It’s been a season like that for him. I want to get him minutes because he’s not going to the World Cup but I have to think about my job.”
Chelsea are expected to confirm the appointment of Mauricio Pochettino as the full-time replacement for Graham Potter over the coming days, and Lampard confirmed he will not be part of the new-look backroom team.
He added: “A new manager will come in and bring his own coaches, I’m sure.”
