Former Chelsea hero backs Frank Lampard to lead them to Champions League title and begs Blues to hire him permanently

GUSS HIDDINK believes that Frank Lampard can win the Champions League with Chelsea this season.

Lampard, 44, was hired as the club’s interim manager last week and lost his first game in charge to Wolves.

Guus Hiddink thinks Frank Lampard can win the Champions League with Chelsea

Lampard was hired as the club’s interim manager

Hiddink, 76, took a similar role at Chelsea on two occasions, the first in 2009 after the club sacked Brazilian manager Luiz Felipe Scolari.

He led the Blues to a third-place finish and a FA Cup trophy as was wanted to be kept on by players and fans.

However, he returned to his role as manager of the Russian national side at the end of the season.

The second time he took charge at Stamford Bridge was in 2015 as he replaced Jose Mourinho.

Hiddink led the club to a 10th place finish after helping the club climb up six places. He also helped the Blues to a 12-game unbeaten streak, a record for a new manager.

The Dutchman has insisted that Lampard can enjoy similar success as him and believes that he should be the permanent boss of the club going forward.

He told The Telegraph: “He has the chance to do something beautiful at the end of the season with the Champions League.

“And I think he can be the man to lead the new Chelsea.

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“I have very nice memories of Frankie. He was a fantastic lad in the dressing room. As a footballer, a vintage midfielder. Strong, intelligent and dangerous around the box.

“He always contributed in a positive way to the group. Not shouting, not overacting, but always competing and pushing team-mates to do their best. I enjoyed him a lot.

“What I liked about Lampard is that sometimes I had to leave him on the bench or replace him, and he never gave me a bad face. He always accepted my decisions.

“He didn’t complain, he always contributed. After a brilliant career, it was clear to me that he was going to be a coach.”

Lampard and Chelsea have their biggest test of the season on Wednesday as they face Real Madrid in the Champions League quarter-finals.