Mourinho heaps praise on Lampard

(GSM) – The Chelsea players will be reunited with their former coach Jose Mourinho when they face Internazionale on Wednesday.

Ahead of this confrontation, Mourinho has paid a glowing tribute to his former pupil Frank Lampard.

“When I first arrived at Chelsea, I sat all the players down and told them they were fantastic – but they were not champions,” Mourinho said.

“I said if they wanted to be champions, then I could help them but the desire had to be in their hearts and their souls – then I looked into their eyes.

“With Frank, it was very easy to see that he wanted so much to be a champion. I am proud to have worked with such a man.

“When I am asked who are the best players I have worked with I will always answer that Frank is among the very greatest.

“Not because he has been successful, but because he is driven every day to become better. This is not a man who is satisfied, there is always hunger in him to push on, to be better than he was yesterday and to give something he has never given before.

“To me, that is a sign of a perfect professional.”