Current Chelsea manager Frank Lampard snubbed League One club Ipswich Town over budget before joining Derby County, according to reports.
It was recently revealed via a video chat with Harry Redknapp, who claimed the Tractorboys owner Marcus Evans offered Frank the job at Portman Road in the summer of 2018.
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He was one of four men to reach the final stages of the recruitment process alongside Jack Ross, Graham Potter and Paul Hurst to replace Mick McCarthy.
Redknapp suggested his nephew to Evans, only for the Derby job to become available.
“I got him an interview at Ipswich and they offered him the job”
Harry Redknapp reveals how Frank Lampard’s managerial career could have been very different
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“I got him the job at Ipswich,” Redknapp said in an interview with Sky Sports News. “I phoned Marcus Evans and said ‘listen, you need a manager’ and Frank Lampard’s your man. Marcus loved him and offered him the job.
“But Frank said ‘Harry, it’s difficult because they’ve got no budget and I can’t bring any players in, what can I do?’
“I said ‘it’s a great club, Ipswich but you’re going to need a bit of help because you haven’t got a magic wand’. Suddenly the Derby job became available and I rang Mel Morris. He has a house up the road from me and we got on ever-so-well.
“He was going to go for an experienced manager but I told him ‘you keep getting managers and then getting rid of them, you’ve not been very clever – take Frank Lampard’. Lots of great managers have gone straight from playing, people like Graeme Souness and Kenny Dalglish.
“I told Mel, Frank knows the game and is a great professional so he’ll be fantastic and bring so much to Derby County.
“Mel said he’d consider Frank as an assistant but I said ‘no, he wants to be a manager so please meet him’. I made a meeting the next day and they met a 7pm. Mel rang be at 8.30pm and said ‘he’s blown me away – I’ve given him the job’.
“That was it. I had no doubt he would be a success because he’s a bright lad, he knows the game. He’ll be amazing.”
Fans took to reply with their thoughts after hearing that Frank Lampard snubbed the League One club…
No budget, story of our club
— James Norton (@j_norton16) May 18, 2020
Dodged a bullet there
— Josh (@ncfcjosh1) May 18, 2020
Yes and Lamps himself has stated he left the interview after being told there was no budget
— Sore Feet for The Beat (@sore_for) May 18, 2020
Says a lot about Redknapp, got him the Ipswich job, then as there’s no money, rings up the derby owner and gets him the job there as they had money…
— Steve Lewis (@lewyitfc) May 18, 2020
Evans must have one of the worst ever records in managerial appointments of any club owner in history. ?
— Andy Pirie (@apirie) May 18, 2020
What could have been ?
— JACK (@jcottonnn) May 18, 2020
So basically, Hurst was second best, no wonder why the process took so long.
— Luke Penning (@LukePenningVGP) May 18, 2020
Turned down by Lampard due to lack of a reasonable transfer budget, ended up in league 1. @marcusevans get out of our club! #Itfc https://t.co/hfOKDlA4qN
— Robbie Catling (@RobbieCatling) May 18, 2020
Just proves Marcus is the problem at our club
— Leanne Benham (@leanne_benham) May 18, 2020
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