MARK Schwarzer admits he did not think ‘understated’ Coventry City head coach Frank Lampard would become a manager.
Schwarzer spent a single season with Lampard at Chelsea which proved to be the latter’s final campaign at Stamford Bridge.
And the 109-cap Australia goalkeeper admits he did not expect Lampard to turn to management following the end of the latter’s playing career.
Speaking to Joe Fortune, Schwarzer said: “Not really, because when I was with him, he’s quite understated.
“He keeps to himself. You can go over to him and have a chat with him and have a conversation about all sorts of things, but he was very much focused on himself, and he was very quiet amongst the group.
“He’d say things when needed, but he would not necessarily be right in the mix of all the banter and the ongoing conversation all the time. So, not really, no.
“But then obviously you look at his dad, look at his uncle, of course, there is a natural pathway there for him to go into football.
“And as we know, right, so often world-class players don’t make top-class managers.”
Schwarzer praised Lampard’s work in charge of former side Chelsea where he helped develop a number of the club’s young players.
And the former shot-stopper believes Lampard has turned Coventry the outstanding side in the Championship this season.
Schwarzer added: “Frank obviously had his ups and downs through his coaching career. What I will say is when he went to Chelsea that first season, they had that transfer embargo.
“When you look at Mason Mount, when you look at players like him, they would never have got a chance had they not had a transfer embargo or it’s really unlikely they would have had a chance.
“He’s just one, there were about four or five of them that came through that he had to play because they couldn’t bring players in and he relied on the youth. I thought they were outstanding.
“I thought the development of players, Reece James is another one, the development of these players was only down to the fact of the embargo, but also Frank Lampard’s trust in them to play them and they’ve flourished ever since.
“So I thought he did a tremendous job at Chelsea that first season and I think since then obviously he’s had some tough times and then I think since he’s been at Coventry literally from the minute he walked in the door I think things changed.
“I’ve been able to see him, I’ve spoken to him and interviewed him up there last season and they were doing really, really well then, they were on a good run. Not quite enough to get up, but this season they’ve kind of gelled.
“They’ve really clicked and so far, so far, they’ve been the outstanding side in the Championship.”
