Frank Lampard: Olivier Giroud gets better with age, we need him at Chelsea
ByReuters
Updated 25/11/2020 at 09:17 GMT
Olivier Giroud came off the bench to score Chelsea's winner at Stade Rennais on Tuesday night in the Champions League, leading manager Frank Lampard to claim the 34-year-old striker is getting better with age. Lamparda addressed his selection predicament up front given he also has Tammy Abraham and Timo Werner to choose from.
Olivier Giroud (Chelsea) scored a goal against Rennes / Champions League
Image credit: Getty Images
Frank Lampard praised Olivier Giroud for his professionalism and said the striker will have a big part to play with a "big schedule coming up" after he scored the winning goal in Chelsea's 2-1 Champions League win over Rennes on Tuesday.
Giroud came off the bench to score the injury-time winner in France, a role he has become used to playing given he is yet to start in the Premier League or Champions League so far this season.
The player recently admitted his lack of playing time is a concern, while France head coach Didier Deschamps has said Giroud needs more minutes ahead of next summer's European Championships, and Lampard suggested he will get more chances with the Blues.
"Everybody kind of feels from the outside what a great professional he is, how highly-regarded he is by his team mates and myself," Lampard told reporters.
He's so professional in how he trains and looks after himself that age isn't even a factor for him. He's getting better with age if anything, in terms of how he looks after himself.
"He offers a lot for us and I keep saying it but the big schedule coming up and the way we play means I will rely on players.
"Thankfully for me he's a player that always keeps the right attitude if he's not playing regularly and I know when I call upon him that he comes in as he did today."
With Timo Werner and Tammy Abraham also options, Lampard has plenty of centre forward options, but 10 games in the next six weeks is what could lead France's second-highest ever goalscorer Giroud into earning more opportunities.
"I have a problem because I've got Tammy who is playing well and obviously he did last year as well," Lampard told BT Sport.
"And Oli, who always contributes in that way with that professionalism. I have two players in a similar position fighting for a place.
"That's a good problem. Oli will get his minutes because we have a busy schedule, we play every few days. I made a few changes today because I felt he had to get the freshness in the team.
"I think the reason you see such a reaction around the goal, not only was it in the last minute but someone like Oli you see how he acts day in, day out and it shows you what he means to this team."
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