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Cape Town - Former Chelsea midfielder Frank Lampard insists he would have stayed at Stamford Bridge had he been given the option to extend his contract.
Lampard moved to the Major League Soccer (MLS) to join New York City and has now been loaned back to Premier League champions Manchester City.
According to reports, the former England international says things could have been very different had Chelsea opened talks, but he has no complaints at being allowed to leave with his head held high and with 11 major honours to reflect on.
“I would have obviously stayed if Chelsea had offered me another year. There was no reason for me to leave," Lampard told the Sun.
“Yes, I wanted to play a bit more regularly but I’m not stupid.
“If Chelsea had given me a new contract it would have been mad not to take it at the time.
“I had a chat with Jose Mourinho and both he and the club were always great with me. The decision was made – and I don’t know who made it.
“Jose was brilliant about it. I didn’t walk out with any bad feelings towards him or the club."
The 36-year-old spent 13 years at the West London Club, but is now looking forward to making the most of his time in Manchester before trying out the American scene.
Lampard moved to the Major League Soccer (MLS) to join New York City and has now been loaned back to Premier League champions Manchester City.
According to reports, the former England international says things could have been very different had Chelsea opened talks, but he has no complaints at being allowed to leave with his head held high and with 11 major honours to reflect on.
“I would have obviously stayed if Chelsea had offered me another year. There was no reason for me to leave," Lampard told the Sun.
“Yes, I wanted to play a bit more regularly but I’m not stupid.
“If Chelsea had given me a new contract it would have been mad not to take it at the time.
“I had a chat with Jose Mourinho and both he and the club were always great with me. The decision was made – and I don’t know who made it.
“Jose was brilliant about it. I didn’t walk out with any bad feelings towards him or the club."
The 36-year-old spent 13 years at the West London Club, but is now looking forward to making the most of his time in Manchester before trying out the American scene.
