NO HIDING
Frank back home’ but reputation only has short shelf life Who needs Maguire when you’ve got
John Richardson HARRY MAGUIRE has left Leicester as the world’s most expensive defender.
But a £3.5million “steal of the decade” can fuel the Foxes’ assault on the top six.
Northern Ireland international Jonny Evans spent nine years at Manchester United, where £80m Maguire is now plying
James Nursey BRENDAN RODGERS has warned Frank Lampard being a top player previously only earns limited respect from stars who will still demand to be well coached.
Chelsea legend Lampard returned to Stamford Bridge this summer to take over after a glittering playing career. Lampard, 41, takes charge of the West London club at home for the first time today when Leicester visit.
The former England star landed his dream job despite just 12 months of coaching at Championship Derby.
Foxes boss Rodgers feels Lampard is a good fit for Chelsea, where Rodgers previously worked in their academy from 2004-2008.
But Rodgers, 46, admitted: “I remember being at Chelsea and the guys talking about it.
“If you have been a top player you walk through the changing room and you have that respect automatically.
“But after a few weeks, the players won’t be looking at you the same.
“They want to know: ‘what are you going to do for me?’ That is how the game works.
“Whatever background you come from, it is ultimately about having the respect and showing you have a value and worth to improve players.
“If you look at Frank’s level, he went into Derby his trade – and fellow Ulsterman Gerry Taggart is convinced Evans’ experience will help fill the void left by the England man.
It’s why Brendan Rodgers didn’t panic as the transfer window closed.
The Leicester boss refused to increase his £30m bid for Burnley’s James Tarkowski, having already turned his
Respect
where here the players pla ers were ere ma maybe be not quite at that level, but he still showed the empathy and made the transition to go and work with players and support them.
“Then if you have the opportunity to work with topclass players you have a better opportunity to win trophies.
“Chelsea is a hard one to turn down.
“You get given the opportunity to go into a club in the top four into a team and a group which, apart from Eden Hazard, won the Europa League.
“I had a similar one at Swansea where I had virtually only two-and-a-half years as a manager and I went in to Liverpool.
“Sometimes you can’t turn it down.”
Rodgers’ own route to managing in the Premier League has been entirely different to Lampard’s however.
Rodgers was forced to quit playing aged 20 at Reading due to injury and went into coaching kids before working his way up to academy director.
He then went to Chelsea as their youth team manager and later reserve team boss.
Senior management then beckoned at Watford, Reading and Swansea before Liverpool and then Celtic.
But Rodgers has no complaints with former England back on the asking price for Brighton’s Lewis Dunk and Bournemouth’s Nathan Ake.
With Evans alongside him, last summer’s newcomer Caglar Soyuncu – snapped up from SC Freiburg for
£19m – was named man of the match against Wolves last Sunday.
The Turkish international was only used sparingly last term as he found himself down the pecking order behind Maguire, Evans and club legend Wes Morgan.
Ovation
stars such h as Lampard d going i straight into top management jobs.
He reflected: “If you have played a long time and been at the top of your game, there has to be an opportunity for players to be fastt racked to a level.
“You still have to put the hours in and make the commitment if you are going to succeed.
“But there has to be an opportunity rather than go right from the very bottom. I wasn’t a very good player.
“I loved football and felt the second-best thing to playing is working and developing young players.
“In my 20s I was learning about developing players, coaching methods and formulating an identity.
“By the time I became a manager at 35, I had 15 years of coaching experience from working with young kids aged six tying their laces to some of the biggest stars in the world.
“When I got the chance to go to Chelsea in 2004, it was the real making of me.
“I was there at the time in that period of success and I got to get the feeling of being in and around the real winners.
“You then have to communicate with them and earn their respect through your work.”
After shutting out Wolves, Soyuncu received a standing room ovation in the Leicester dressing room.
A stiffer test awaits the 23-year-old at Stamford
Developing
Bridge this afternoon. But former Leicester star Taggart, now a leading pundit, points out: “Everyone should be thankful Jonny Evans is still at the club.
“I still can’t understand why United let him go.
“With Harry Maguire going, Jonny has had to take extra responsibility.
“But he commands great