Blues have no need to regret losing Rice: Lamps

FRANK Lampard insists Chelsea cannot regret Declan Rice slipping through the academy net and flourishing at London rivals West Ham.

England midfi e l der Ri c e progressed through Chelsea’s much-vaunted academy but was released aged 14, before making the switch to the Hammers.

The 21-year-old has since risen to prominence in east London and become an England regular — to the point where he is now a long-term transfer target for the Blues.

Chelsea could have to pay upwards of £50million to sign a player who came through their system and remains best friends with Blues midfielder Mason Mount, but boss Lampard insisted no academy can make the right call with every young player.

“He’s a fantastic player for West Ham and England, so fair play, because his journey there, after leaving Chelsea and going to West Ham, it’s a good story to hear,” said Lampard.

“There are lots of those stories for different reasons, at whatever level and that shows a strength of character. In terms of our end, I certainly wouldn’t use the word regret.

“Our academy is one of the best in the world, you look at our first team and all the players we’ve produced that are in and around the first-team squad, we’ve got so many.

“And it’s not easy, it’s not an exact science to pick or choose players. The academy work brilliantly here to bring through a lot of players.

“Declan Rice has given himself personal credit for going and having the great start to his career he’s had at West Ham.”

Chelsea will host West Ham at Stamford Bridge on Monday night, bidding to hit back to form after consecutive Premier League defeats.

Asked if taking on West Ham means more to him given his history as a former player with the club, Lampard said: “If I’m honest it did when I played, as a manager and in my role now it doesn’t.

“Maybe I ’ ve mellowed or something’s changed, but also I focus on what’s necessary for the club. Maybe I took it on me personally to really get up for that game against West Ham because I had played for them before.

“But now I don’t, I just see it as another game, particularly off the back of two defeats for us, it’s an important game just for us to approach in the way of wanting to get back to where we were before these two games.”

Callum Hudson-odoi and Hakim Ziyech returned to full training yesterday but have still to prove their fitness.