ONE Chelsea legend did win a cup final as a manager in the last week.
No, not Frank Lampard but Eddie Newton, who lifted the Turkish Cup with Trabzonspor after a 2-0 win over Alanyaspor.
Following last Wednesday’s triumph, caretaker boss Newton, who has two wins from two games in the hotseat, has been named permanent manager for next season.
But, after more than 200 appearances as a Chelsea player having come through the youth ranks plus spells as assistant to Roberto di Matteo, a stint in the academy and being part of Lampard’s backroom staff before his February departure to Turkey, Newton would be open to returning as Stamford Bridge manager one day.
Newton, 48, told SunSport: “Everyone knows where my heart is, I love Chelsea and I’m not going to deny that.
“It would be foolhardy to say I’m not. I wouldn’t close myself off. If they came then great but we’ll see. I am open to all offers.
“Why wouldn’t you want to work in the Premier League? You want to work against the best.
“I wanted to play against the best when I was a player and it’s the same as a manager.
“It’s arguably the best league in the world with some great individual players and managers.
“Some of the best coaches in the world are operating in the Premier League.”
Despite losing 2-1 to Arsenal in Saturday’s FA Cup final, Newton believes Chelsea are on the right track under Lampard, who has already snapped up striker Timo Werner and wideman Hakim Ziyech for next season.
Newton added: “There have been ups and down but it’s been a decent season for Chelsea – qualification for the Champions League and a cup final.
“Frank has done a decent job, he was very forward minded as a player and he wants his teams to attack and be on the front foot.
“They have been very active in the transfer market preparing for next season to stay ahead of the game.
“Frank now has more of the players he wants. It’s his team to go and build something.
“He’s got some signings in early and he will bring a couple more in before the window closes.”
For Newton himself, who had spells as number two to Di Matteo not only at Chelsea but also at MK Dons and West Brom, he is now desperate to kick-start his life as a No1.
CHELSEA NEWS LIVE: Follow for the latest Blues news
He added: “I’ve been at all different levels, League One, Championship, Premier League and the Champions League – and been quite successful.
“Working at those different levels gives you an understanding and appreciation of the players you are working with and how you adapt to them.
“The different scenarios and education has definitely put me in good stead.
“I have a vast experience across the board of how to develop, win trophies and work with senior players so I feel as if I have enough education now to be able to take the next step forward.
“I’ve been working towards becoming a No1 for many years and my CV says everything that needs to be said.
“I’ve shown more than enough now as an assistant and stepping in as a manager for someone to trust me.
“I’ve finally got the opportunity so I’d like to realise my dream. The continual frustration of not becoming a number one was difficult to take.
“If you look at the number of black managers across all the leagues in England the figures don’t lie, do they?
“I’m not saying it should be half and half but there’s no opportunities. It seems like it is a glass ceiling and it’s too hard to break through.
“That’s why I had to look abroad to try and find an opportunity. It was a big decision to leave Chelsea but the right one.
“I came over to Turkey and became a caretaker manager within six months. It’s been an amazing little period.
“There were two hard parts; changing my relationship with certain players from being an assistant to the manager and picking the team. The worst part of the job is dropping players, especially the senior ones.
“I now understand when managers talk about not getting much sleep.
“The last thing you think about before you go to bed is tactics or who you are going to pick and it’s the same thoughts when you wake up.
“You have to try and stay calm, focused and try to enjoy it a little bit.”
Newton cites previous Chelsea bosses Glenn Hoddle, Ruud Gullit and Gianluca Vialli as influences as he begins his own managerial journey.
He added: “I learnt a lot from Glenn when he first came in.
“He brought a European way of working and I really enjoyed playing under him because of the brand of football we played, how he made us think outside of the game, the way to look after your body and preparation. It was great.
“When Ruud took over it was impressive the way he would make you feel a million dollars before a game.
“I felt comfortable and he made you confident going into a game.
“Vialli came with a very structured, Italian way of working. There were aspects of the coaching which I thought, ‘I can use that as well.’ You have to learn from everyone.”
Newton’s Trabzonspor side finished second in the Turkish Super Lig behind Istanbul Basaksehir, qualifying for the Champions League but they will miss out on Europe’s premier competition after the Court of Arbitration for Sport last Thursday rejected their appeal against a one-year ban for Financial Fair Play violations.
Newton said: “It’s a big disappointment for everyone because we worked so hard to get into that position.
“It was something that happened before our president came in. There’s nothing we can do.
“I am due to talk to the president in the next few days about being the permanent manager.
“He’s been fantastic since I’ve arrived. Everything he has said, he’s done so I can’t fault him in any way at all.
“It’s been a great experience and I feel very lucky to have had this opportunity.”
