Lamps urges Tammy to be the top Drog

FRANK LAMPARD has challenged Tammy Abraham to prove he can rise to the biggest occasions — just like Didier Drogba.

The Ivorian (below, left) was the ultimate big-game player, scoring the goals that settled Champions League, FA Cup and League Cup finals and fired Chelsea to glory in the Premier League.

There isn’t any silverware on the line at Anfield this afternoon.

But against arguably the world’s best defender in Virgil van Dijk, Abraham (below, right) who has scored seven goals in his last four games, including a hattrick against Wolves last week, has a chance to show he can step up and mix it at the highest level.

Lampard said: “It’s normal that the top strikers are judged on goals and the next level of that is, ‘Do you score goals against the

big teams?’

Chances

“I understand that because against someone like Van Dijk, a defence like Liverpool, a team like Liverpool, maybe it’s harder to create chances.

“So it’s what you can do individually to try to create them and how clinical you can be after that.

“Tammy has shown great signs this season but it will be another test on the way.

“It’s not the be-all-andend-all day and we make our judgements after that.

“But, yes, for top strikers like Didier, we all remember the amount of times he scored in finals and semi-finals, and really important games, and quite rightly, players are judged on that.”

Lampard is the man charged with giving Abraham the belief that he can be the main man but he also knows it has to come from within the player as well.

He added: “Maybe it’s a bit of both but the thing I love about Tammy is his enthusiasm and how he takes on challenges.

“He takes every day like it’s a challenge and a happy challenge.

“He wants to come in with a smile on his face and wants to score in training and be the best he can be.

“If you’ve got that attitude, you’ve got a great chance because we know he has the talent.”

Jose Mourinho gave Lampard confidence by telling him he was the best midfielder on the planet. Lampard said: “All managers try to work on those things, whether it’s the emotional side, the side of the character, whether it be that certain players need confidence, certain players need a slight knock.

“All those parts are part of our job and I certainly had different managers who did that, but it does come down, first and foremost, to the player.”

As a player, Lampard had some memorable battles with Liverpool and, while the edge may have gone from the rivalry, it’s still a big game for both sets of supporters.

Lampard added: “The Champions League games were the most memorable, I suppose.

“We had big games in the league as well but we lost with the ghost goal and then we won at the Bridge a couple of times.

“It probably turned out pretty even if you look at the count

at the end of it.

Special

“Anfield is always a special place to go because of the atmosphere they create.

And then the Bridge for us and for me is a special place to play in those Champions League nights.

“The atmosphere was always there and they were hugely competitive

games.”