Lampard sees Chelsea squad as experienced...not past it!

Frank Lampard has hit back at critics who claim Chelsea's squad is past it, on the basis of Lampard, 32, captain John Terry, 29, and striker Didier Drogba, who will be 33 in March.

However, England midfielder rejects any suggestions the Blues players are over the hill.

Speaking to the October edition of the club's official magazine, Lampard declared: "It is a load of rubbish when I hear talk about there only being one or two years left in our spine. This has been going on for a year or so.

"Sometimes that is mind games from other managers or press talk and we proved them wrong last year.

"We have got players here who are experienced and you can't buy experience in football - look at Didier, he is a specimen and he will overpower any 24- or 25-year-old.

"People have been waxing lyrical about Paul Scholes, and rightly so, because if you take him out of the United team now, they will want to replace him and they probably won't be able to."

Lampard may have a trophy cabinet full of honours, but the former West Ham trainee maintains his hunger for more success.

"Every year I set my goals again, I don't lose any ambition or drive," Lampard insisted.

"I would love to win the Champions League one day, but I would love to win more Premier League titles as well, so it's quite easy to self-motivate.

"I think also that, the older you get, the more you appreciate what you have got as a footballer.

"I think it's one of my strong points that I always want to do more because you don't play forever.

"If I can keep my level up to the way I am playing now I believe I can go on playing for many more years."

Lampard paid tribute to Ancelotti, who delivered the club an historic Double in his first season.

"The manager is very involved - his method, his training, his personality and his calmness is something the players have related to more and more over the last year or so and that's making us stronger as a unit," the midfielder said.

 
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