Frank Lampard’s childhood dream was to play for West Ham, know about the Fat Frank Lampard meme, the viral fat face picture, Everton chant and GIF
When his boyhood club fell, he would smile by the age of 23. And you can guarantee that any West Ham supporters present at Stamford Bridge when Lampard’s Chelsea or Lampard’s Everton hosted the Hammers would convey their sentiments to their former player.
Explained Why Is Frank Lampard Called Fat Frank, Everton Chant, Twitter Meme Face Picture, GIF And Meaning
Remember when Chelsea fans used to chant “F*** Sarriball” and thought Frank Lampard was a genius 😂😂😂
Lampard. Sacked by a Chelsea team who won the UCL months later. Now about to get relegated with Everton.
Pub manager pic.twitter.com/DHS56j5yqb
— Jerry Mancini (@jmancini8) March 7, 2022
The Derby squad singing the "Stop crying Frank Lampard" chant last night. Absolute scenes. 😂
🎥 @dcfcofficial pic.twitter.com/PipD3AxRxB
— Football Tweet ⚽ (@Football__Tweet) May 16, 2019
clear of fat frank pic.twitter.com/T7q57PeZeT
— matt (@cashmoney_avfc) August 14, 2022
clear of fat frank pic.twitter.com/T7q57PeZeT
— matt (@cashmoney_avfc) August 14, 2022
Fat Frank at it again. pic.twitter.com/xrp7jZPZoa
— Ankit Kapoor (@Ankit_THFC2) August 13, 2022
21 years have passed since Lampard left West Ham in 2001. He went on to show that he was actually quite skilled at football and not just an overweight kid picked on because of nepotism, as some had unjustly alleged.
Even yet, some West Ham supporters will always refer to Lampard as “Fat Frank,” and anytime the Everton manager and Hammers supporters get together, cries of “You Fat B******” are certain to resound across Stamford Bridge, the London Stadium, or Goodinson Park.
But how did it end up here?
Well, it all began in 1994, when Lampard, at 14 years old, joined the West Ham academy. while his father, Frank Lampard Sr., served as the first team’s assistant manager. Lampard was accused of nepotism from the moment he joined the senior team at age 17, and the fact that his uncle Harry Redknapp served as manager didn’t help.
After Lampard made his first-team debut, Redknapp was infamously forced to defend him against accusations of favouritism, promising an irate West Ham supporter that his nephew would “get right to the very top.” Lampard’s situation, however, never really improved, and no matter how brilliantly he played, he was constantly assessed using a different standard.
At West Ham, Lampard really had a respectable career, scoring 38 goals in 187 games while still a young player. Although the former midfielder acknowledges that he was a “chubby kid,” some West Ham fans did not see him as the sluggish, out-of-shape player they did.
According to Jose Mourinho, Lampard is the best professional he has ever worked with. There are rumours that he would practise running for hours after practise to make sure it didn’t hinder him. However, a sizable portion of the crowd would continue to make offensive and personal remarks about his weight and his connections to the club.
Why did he leave his boyhood dream?
In fact, Lampard claimed some West Ham supporters cheered as he was carried off the field in 1997 with a broken leg, which made the Everton manager ponder quitting the game entirely. Lampard was upset with Terry Brown for how he treated his father and uncle, who both departed the club after having a disagreement with the West Ham chairman in 2001. It wasn’t just the fans, either.
The story of becoming Chelsea legend
According to Lampard’s agent, he departed the club feeling “gutted and deceived” and vowed never to play for the Hammers again. The fact that he had already established a solid reputation as a goal-scoring midfielder, though, led Chelsea to offer them a sizable sum of money—£11 million—in exchange for his services.
And Lampard swiftly turned his attention to getting even. He made 20 appearances versus West Ham and scored seven goals, making him the most prolific midfielder in Premier League history. Lampard would go all out everytime he scored against West Ham, fueled by the vitriol of the Hammers supporters, and the hostility just got out of hand.
Lampard went so far as to claim that the way the supporters treated him caused him to begin rooting against the team he had loved as a child.
Because of this, the game between Lampard and West Ham is considered a grudge match. Lampard may not confess it, but he will be driven to victory, and West Ham will do anything to further humiliate the new Everton manager.