Lampard makes sure young players will get their chance

Frank Lampard has pledged to make sure the road is clear for young players to reach the first team from the academy in his first interview as Chelsea manager.

The Blues legend was finally confirmed as Maurizio Sarri's replacement on Thursday, signing a three-year contract after spending a year with Derby County.

Chelsea are currently under a transfer embargo and Lampard is widely expected to pivot towards utilising the club's highly successful youth set-up.

And speaking to Chelsea TV in a nine-minute long interview, the club's record goalscorer confirmed he would make sure young players will get their chance - if they're good enough.

Lampard, 41, said: 'I want to work with those players, I want to dangle the carrot, can you work hard, can you compete, can you get in the team?'

When asked about the first team's relationship with the academy, he added: 'It's important. It's something that I will work hard to make sure the communication is there day in, day out.

'I'm lucky because the staff I will have with me will help me with that. But I will always have my eye on the academy. I think it's important.

'I was that young player, a very long time ago. And the one thing you want is the feeling that you can get into the first team. That feeling that the road that divides the academy from the main building, is one that you can cross. It has to be there for you.

'I think that does come from the top and I have to show that. If young players are performing, and they deserve it on merit, then they will be coming and training with us.

'But there's a lot of hard work for them to do. I don't want it to look like it's an easy road, it's very tough, but we can try and help them.'

The Blues have become accustomed to success during the Roman Abramovich era, with Lampard himself winning every domestic honour available to an English club with the Blues - including the Champions League in 2012.

The transfer embargo has led to questions about whether the former England international will be able to compete with the Premier League's dominant forces, Manchester City and Liverpool.

But Lampard is not concerned about expectations, insisting he wants to continue to drive up standards at Stamford Bridge.

'I think expectations at Chelsea will always remain,' added Lampard.

'From the outside, because of what the club's done in the last 15 years, in the Roman Abramovich era for sure.

'I liked that. I enjoyed that as a player, I enjoyed the pressure of expectation.

'And it changes, there are different circumstances, we had years where we had great success, some years where we didn't have so much but the standards have to keep rising, year after year.

'That's not just on the pitch stuff, that's daily. That's players, that's staff, that's everyone around the club.

'I will try and push that, when you are in charge you have to push it, people go off you and your standard, and if I can try and show that and what I want then hopefully we'll do well.'