Lampard should succeed Emma Hayes as Chelsea Women's boss, claims Christiansen

Former England star Izzy Christiansen has tipped Frank Lampard to replace Emma Hayes as Chelsea Women's manager next season.

Hayes will leave Stamford Bridge this summer after a hugely decorated 12 years in the role, with the 47-year-old set to take over as manager of the USA Women's team.

Since taking on the role in 2012, Hayes has led Chelsea to a stunning 15 trophies, including six WSL titles.

In fact, the Blues have won the league for four successive campaigns and are on course for a fifth in a row this season, with Hayes' side sitting three points clear of Man City at the top of the table.

Hayes' replacement is yet to be announced, but Christiansen - who represented the likes of Everton, Man City and Lyon during her career and now works as a pundit - felt Lampard could be the perfect replacement.

'I do have a name in mind but I've never heard anyone throw it out there,'Christiansen told LiveScore. '(...) Frank Lampard.'

'He's somebody who knows the club inside out. From my experiences at Everton, listening to him speak, he's the right type of character.

'His level of communication and knowledge of the game could be really effective and I think you've got someone well accustomed with what it means to be Chelsea.'

Lampard has had a mixed managerial career so far, which has included two spells in charge of Chelsea's men's team.

After impressing at Derby, he took the Chelsea job for the first time in 2019 and led the Blues to fourth in his first season while battling a transfer ban.

However, he was sacked in January 2021 with the club ninth in the league amid a breakdown of his relationship with several players and the club's hierarchy.

Lampard then spent just under a year in charge of Everton and while he did lead them to safety in 2021-22, he was dismissed with the Toffees in 19th place the following January.

The Blues legend returned to the club for an ill-fated 11 game spell as interim boss last April, replacing Graham Potter, but he won just one match.

Despite his underwhelming record, Christiansen claimed Lampard, who scored more 200 goals for the club, could help Chelsea continue their incredible success and insisted the club must keep an open mind when deciding on Hayes' replacement.

She added: 'I don't have any knowledge on whether he'd want it or not but it makes sense to me.

'To be honest, I sit in a party where it doesn't have to be a female, doesn't have to be a male — it just needs to be the right person for the job.

'There's no gain in Chelsea going, "Right, let's pigeonhole this, it has to be a female".

'If they want to continue or attempt to continue the dominance they've had domestically, it has to be the correct appointment.'

Chelsea currently sit three points clear of Man City at the top of the WSL and they face their title rivals in a crunch clash a week on Friday.