Frank Lampard gives an emotional interview after his Coventry City side secures promotion to the Premier League.
On the 28th November 2024, Coventry brought in Frank Lampard as replacement for fan favourite Mark Robins, with the club 17th in the Championship table, two points above the relegation zone.
Lampard took the club to 5th in the Championship for the 2024/25 season, however lost 3–2 on aggregate to eventual play-off winners Sunderland, in the semi-finals of the play-offs.
Despite dealing with heartbreak at the end of the season, he guided the Sky Blues to the top of the league nine games into the 2025/26 season, and have spent 37 matchweeks there.
On the 17th of April 2026, Coventry achieved promotion back to the Premier League for the first time since 2001, with 86 points from 43 games played, won 25, drew 11, lost 7, scored 85 goals, conceded 43 goals and are 13 points from 3rd place Millwall.
He won Championship manager of the month for both October and November, is nominated for Championship manager of the season at the EFL Awards, and has a first league promotion of his managerial career.
Cutting Onions 🥹😭😭 pic.twitter.com/VceSdoz1HD
— Gemma (@Gemma_Manns) April 17, 2026
Coventry City boss Frank Lampard told Sky Sports:
“Incredible moment
“We weren’t at our fluid best but the quality of the ball in and the power of the header…
“We had to see it out and we didn’t know whether to attack.
“This is what it’s about. Coming here and getting a point at this stage isn’t easy.
“For doing this after 25 years… Wow. Wow.
“This is a serious, serious football club. I grew up with them as a top flight club but I didn’t realise.
“Mark Robins had done an incredible job.
“To go and get promotion automatically as a non-parachute team with three games to go… These boys have managed to achieve something special and unique.
“Sometimes, all managers talk about the players, but I am proud, and I’m proud of myself and the staff.
“The boys, me, Chris and Joe, drove up 15 months ago or whatever in a people carrier, and we went into a bit of an unknown, as you always go into a job.
“We’ve fallen in love with the players, how they’ve reacted, the fan base, how it’s reacted. So it’s right up there for me for what I may have achieved. I was fortunate to be in great Chelsea teams.
“Winning the Champions League and winning leagues was amazing. Sometimes I could thank Didier Drogba or John Terry for that.
“Now, to do this with this club in the circumstances that we’ve done it, for me, overachieving. I’m not belittling the players there. They’ve raised their game up by pure work, and I’m very proud to be the manager of that.”
Lampard continued: “When I looked at Coventry I saw a club Mark [Robins] had done fantastic work with and I looked at the squad and thought there were players there we could work with.
“The resilience to come back after losing in the play-offs… We spoke in the summer about what we could do this season and whether we could finish third or fourth to get a home play-off in the second game which we didn’t do last year.
“It’s such a good feeling that the boys have managed to get it over the line.
“Everything I’ve ever done has been a bit of a point to prove. I’m lucky I have that ingrained.
“I had my moments and I think the trick of being a manager is you’ve got to walk out with a calm demeanour as a manager but it’s easier when you trust the players.
“I’ve got players like Jake Bidwell and Jamie Allen who haven’t played every week but they’ve been the biggest voices in the dressing room.
“The players can have a couple of beers on the way home but they’ve got to get the job done now.
“I let them have a bit of a party after the Sheffield Wednesday game on Saturday because it was basically done then but I had the hump with them on Tuesday and Wednesday when they didn’t train well.
“We want to go and get it done now. If we play how we have done the rest of the season we will be fine. We want to sustain it now.”
Lampard said via BBC Sport: “This is a special night for the football club, which is bigger than all of us.
“That could not be more clear than when you saw the fans at the end of the game. This club has suffered for 25 years since we’ve been out of the Premier League and that journey going down, playing at different stadiums.
“Credit to everyone involved in those tough years. Mark Robins, of course, he has to have a massive shout-out, and it’s just such a massive achievement from everyone involved.
“I’m more emotional than I thought I would be and the final whistle just caught me. It just dawned on me then what this achievement means to our fans.
“Winning the Champions League with Chelsea was the best night of my life, but this comes very, very close.
“The players have got to enjoy tonight and we’re off tomorrow. They don’t drink as much as we do, but Tuesday and Portsmouth will come very quickly and I don’t want any anti-climax. These boys deserve to win this league.”
Coventry owner Doug King told Sky Sports, as per BBC Sport’s live match blog:
(On what it sounds like to be called a Premier League team) “It sounds surreal.
“We needed a point and we got one.
“The boys did it the hard way but they did it.
“The fans have been starved of it for a long time and you can feel it.
“Twenty-five years is a huge amount of time.
“If you don’t bounce back you feel like it’s never going to happen.
“Getting out of this league is very difficult and we did it.
“We got the whole city together. I’m super proud of everybody.
“They’ve had the whole season in front and it’s not easy being a front runner.”
Coventry owner Doug King was asked by Sky Sports about bringing Frank Lampard to the club in 2024:
“There were a lot of people that questioned that because they knew what Mark (Robins) had done.
“We felt we had to make a bit of a change of direction and we went with Frank.
“The fans have been amazing. I’ve always tried to be transparent.
“I’m loving this moment because it has been so long in coming. I had a little tear in my eye because I know how hard we have all worked for this moment.”
Coventry goalscorer Bobby Thomas told Sky Sports:
“It’s amazing.
“I couldn’t believe it when it went in
“It’s been a hell of a season and it’s been a project over the last three seasons and I feel like we deserve it.
“We gave them the point we needed.
“It was a cagey affair tonight. We can’t drop our level now. We need to get the points we need to get the title.”
Jack Rudoni speaking to Sky Sports:
“It’s amazing. I can’t describe it. I had a feeling we’d score. We always do stuff like this.
“We could have got it done quicker. But with the fans here we couldn’t leave without doing it today.”
Coventry’s Matt Grimes told Sky Sports: “It’s incredible. It felt like a home game.
“It’s been such a long time since a club of this size have been in the Premier League, I’m just happy we could give (the fans) something to shout about.
“Blackburn are a good team, they made us work for it. A point is all we needed. It’s brilliant.”
On his post-match conversation with Frank Lampard: “I just said thank you to him. Showed my appreciation for bringing me to this club.”
Coventry’s Brandon Thomas-Asante speaking to Sky Sports:
“We’re obviously just happy to get over the line right now. It was a tough game but it was kind of like by any means and as long as we get there and get the job done.
“Now we’ve got one part done which is to get promoted, which we’re buzzing for, but our minds have to go to Tuesday and winning the Championship which is of course what we set out to do.
“To get it done today is such a relief.”
Blackburn boss Michael O’Neill told Sky Sports: “We’re disappointed to lose a goal so late, but I thought we were brilliant tonight.
“We had opportunities to score and got ahead in the game but it’s human nature to settle and sit a bit deeper… it was a great cross and a good header.
“We’re disappointed as we were so close to getting three points but ultimately there were a lot of positives.
“All you can ask is the players give everything and the supporters get behind you. They did that.
“We’re taking points and trying to climb our way to safety.”
Rovers are now five points ahead of the relegation zone but have played two more games than the sides chasing them and now have just two fixtures remaining – Sheffield United away and Leicester at home.
SUPER FRANK. pic.twitter.com/dJK4A3Gfwd
— Coventry City (@Coventry_City) April 17, 2026
Here’s how fans reacted as Frank Lampard gives an emotional interview after Coventry secures Premier League promotion…
@stuhardy1979: Fair play. Did well at Derby, perhaps took the Chelsea job too soon, but instead of disappearing came back and smashed it.
@JohnLac36728740: Delighted for Coventry and Frank..my late uncle lived in Coventry and was big fan. He be happy man in heaven today..
@CFC_Bev: So pleased for Frank. The job he did here following a transfer ban and losing our star player is underrated. All the best to him 💙
@abzMCFC___: when he makes coventry stay up next season with ease he’ll get his ratings from the masses
@spence_ross1: My gaffer honestly, what a special special man 🥲🥲 🩵#PUSB
@AIlEverton: He deserves this. What a fella, made up for him 💙
@Redevils20Times: I must admit I like Lampard as a person and I think his teams generally play good attacking football. He’s done a great job at Coventry
@petridish13: Is frank lampards managerial career harshly judged? Has done well at derby and working under severe financial constraints at Chelsea and Everton did a decent gig too? Getting coventry promoted without parachute payments is seriously impressive
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