COLIN Hendry believes continuity under Frank Lampard is key for Coventry City following the club’s promotion to the Premier League.
Coventry finally clinched promotion with a draw against Blackburn Rovers to end the club’s 25-year wait for a top flight return.
Hendry made 11 appearances for Coventry, including two in the club’s most recent Premier League campaign back in 2000/01.
And the former Premier League winner insists keeping hold of head coach Frank Lampard would give Coventry the best chance of staying up next season.
Speaking to the Observer on behalf of 10bet, Hendry said: “It will be interesting because there has been talk about Frank Lampard leaving, but I hope he stays to take the club to the next level.
“Survival in the Premier League would be the first priority for a club like Coventry City.
“If he stays, it would help the continuity.
“You look at the teams that go up and the possibility of coming back down – like Burnley, who are becoming a bit of a yo-yo club – but they manage to get a share of that Premier League money.
“It’s an incredible amount of money these days. When Blackburn won the Premiership in the 90s, it was about £20–25 million per annum just to be in the league.
“Now it’s nearly £200 million. That helps with the foundations, the ground, and the training ground, as well as recruitment.
“Recruitment for Frank Lampard in the Premier League will be really important.”
Hendry also heaped praise on Sky Blues boss Lampard and admits he did not see the club returning to the top flight from the position they were in a decade ago.
Hendry added: “I played for Coventry for a few months in the late 90s and early 2000s
“It would be an enormous thing for them to finally be back in the Premier League.
“They had a good run in the 90s, but this promotion came a little bit out of left field under Frank Lampard.
“You wouldn’t have thought over the last 10 years that Coventry were a big enough club to get promoted to the Premier League.
“A bit of continuity would really help them.”
