Chelsea boss Rafael Benítez hails ‘committed’ Frank Lampard

Rafael Benítez has heaped praise on Frank Lampard ahead of Chelsea’s clash against Aston Villa on Sunday.

The Chelsea midfielder played the full 90 minutes as the Blues reached the Capital One Cup semi-finals with a 5-1 victory at Leeds United in midweek.

Lampard, 34, has found his first-team opportunities limited this term, with speculation suggesting that he is set to leave Stamford Bridge next summer when his contract expires.

But Benítez insists he has been thrilled with his input for the west Londoners in recent weeks.

“Frank did a great job [against Leeds],” said Benítez. “In the last five minutes Frank wanted to score a goal so he pushed higher up the pitch.

“You could see the other day he was fully committed and he’s a great player, so I will try to bring the best from him in every game.

“At the moment I can see him working very hard in training sessions and games, he wanted to play from the beginning of the first game [at the Club World Cup in Japan], he wasn’t happy but that’s normal.

“He’s an important player with quality and experience. If he plays well, scores goals and the team is winning it will be easier for everyone to be happy.”