Frank Lampard is confident former teammate John Terry can keep performing at the top of his game.

Speculation regarding the future of the Chelsea skipper has reared its ugly head after he was left out of the West London club's recent Champions League and Premier League fixtures against Maccabi Tel Aviv and Arsenal.

However, Stamford Bridge legend Lampard does not believe his good friend Terry has any plans whatsoever to quit the club or retire from football in the near future.

"I think John can carry on for years," Lampard told ESPN FC.

"I've been through it, everyone goes through it as you get into your 30s.

"The minute you turn 30, everyone starts to speculate how much you've got left. So the minute you don't play well, people start to talk about it."

Lampard, now with MLS club New York City FC, added: "I know John's attitude and I know his quality.

"I think he's 34 years of age and the way he plays, how quick his mind is at his position, I see him being an important part of Chelsea for a few years to come."

"I know John feels Chelsea like I did when I was there. John is an emblem of the club so I think fans always relate to him being there, he's a huge part of the success we've had over the last 10 or 12 years. So I'd like to see him carry on there but again, it's not my decision."