Chelsea boss Antonio Conte has kept the door open to Frank Lampard joining his coaching staff.
The 38-year-old is currently weighing up whether to add an extra year to his career in the wake of his exit from New York City FC this week.
When asked directly about the possibility of recruiting him as a coach, Conte said: "Frank Lampard has been a great player, a fantastic player for Chelsea. He won a lot with this team.
"But now for me he's still playing and for this reason I don't know his future. I repeat: he has been a fantastic player, a legend for this club. I have great respect for him.
"For me it's very difficult to reply to the question when the question starts 'if'. It's important to know."