MICHAEL Carrick is not surprised by Coventry City’s rise up the Championship table as he prepares to reignite his rivalry with Sky Blues boss Frank Lampard on the final day of the Championship season.
Carrick and Lampard battled against each other at club level during their playing careers with both players winning multiple Premier League titles.
Now in charge of Middlesbrough and Coventry respectively, Carrick and Lampard are vying for the final play-off place on the final day of Championship season.
Coventry head into the final game of the campaign inside the top-six on goal difference with Boro two points further back.
Boro must win to have any chance of securing a play-off place while Coventry know a victory would all but guarantee a top-six finish.
And Carrick heaped praise on former international teammate Lampard for transforming Coventry’s season.
Carrick said: “It’s one game, everything is at stake, it’s all on the line and everything is to play for.
“Frank has done a fantastic job, Mark [Robins] had done for a number of years and he’s carried that on.
“I’m not surprised to see them up there, I thought they would end up in and around there towards the end of the season.
“They’ve put a good run together, credit to them for that, it’ll be a good game I’m sure.”
Carrick and Lampard locked horns in the Champions League final in 2009 when Manchester United beat Chelsea on penalties.
The pair also clashed numerous times in Premier League title races as well as the FA Cup final in 2007 when Lampard’s Chelsea came out on top after extra time.
The two midfielders both came through West Ham United’s academy and played together for a season in 2000/01 – Coventry’s last in the top flight.
And Carrick has huge respect for Lampard but insists their remains a competitive rivalry between the pair.
Carrick added: “I’ve actually known Frank since I was 13 at West Ham and came through behind him in the youth team.
“We go quite a long way back, I’ve also played against him in games as big as you can get in terms of Premier League and Champions League.
“There’s a huge respect [for him], I’ve respected him from the very first time I trained with him and seen his attitude and mentality to the game.
“Coming up against him, it’s not so much me against Frank, it’s the two football clubs and the two teams on the pitch.
“The kind of respect is competitive as well.”
Coventry host Middlesbrough on Saturday, May 3 with kick-off at 12.30pm at the Coventry Building Society Arena.
