Chelsea head coach Frank Lampard has revealed how impressed he has been with Blues midfielder Jorginho - both on and off of the pitch, in his early days back at the club.
Lampard took over from the outgoing Maurizio Sarri at the start of the month and has taken charge of two pre-season friendlies. The squad, and Lampard, are now .
One member of the squad out in Asia who split opinion of supporters last season, is Jorginho. The midfielder was an ever present in the Premier League under the former Italian manager and has been linked with a reunion with Sarri at Juventus this summer.
But, Lampard has insisted that it's not just his qualities on the pitch which will make him an important player for the club this season.
"Jorginho is a fantastic player," the Chelsea boss said, as reported by the Express .
“The one thing that has struck me about him from working with him in the last week and a bit is not just his quality on the ball, I saw that last year.
“We know all about his comfort on the ball and bravery to receive the ball in any area. It is not something that’s normal to receive the ball in tight areas and deal with the ball and keep doing it constantly.
“But his attitude in training has been first class. He’s a driver of a session.
“He’s a voice. He runs, he pushes people around him, he drags people up when he doesn’t feel they’re working as much as he might want.
“I’ve loved seeing that. So in terms of first impressions, working with him for 10 days, I can’t ask for any more. I’m delighted to have him.”
The Italian midfielder's role in the team was a source of debate during last season, with his position meaning that World Cup winner N'Golo Kante was often forced to play a role in a wider area of the pitch, but Lampard has hinted that things could change under his leadership.
“Jorginho became a conversation last year," the former England man added.
“I’ve been there. As a player, sometimes things are out of your control and the conversation carries on very quickly without you.
"He played in one position and the manager had faith in him and it became something that was talked about, possibly too much.
“But I’m a new manager. I have new ideas. We might be more adaptable in the way we play. I might ask different things of Jorginho, of N’Golo Kante, of Ross Barkley - of anybody.
“I’m not stuck in a conversation from last year. I’m looking at a player who has very much impressed me over the last 10 days.”
