Frank Lampard’s legendary spell at Chelsea is officially over.
The out-of-contract 35-year-old English international who manned the midfield at Stamford Bridge for 13 years announced Monday that he was leaving the Blues.
Lampard will head to the World Cup as England’s co-captain without a club to call home, but he’s been linked in recent days to New York City FC and has also been rumored as a LA Galaxy target.
"When I arrived at this fantastic club 13 years ago I would never have believed that I would be fortunate enough to play so many games and enjoy sharing in so much success," Lampard said in a statement released by his agent. "This club has become part of my life and I have so many people to thank for the opportunity.”
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Lampard was reportedly offered a new deal on reduced terms by Chelsea, but he has opted to enter the free market where teams appear to be lining up for his services.
Should he land at NYCFC, he’ll join Spain’s all-time leading scorer David Villa, who was announced Monday as the 2015 MLS expansion club’s first player signing.
NYCFC, however, declined to comment on the Lampard rumors during a conference call announcing Villa's new deal on Monday.
Lampard is Chelsea’s all-time leading scorer with 211 goals in 649 appearances. He led the Blues to three Premier League titles, a Champions League title, four FA Cup championships and two League Cups.
He is currently in Miami with the England squad preparing for friendlies against Ecuador and Honduras ahead of their World Cup campaign in Brazil. It is believed he’ll wait until after the tournament to decide on his future.
