The return of Frank Lampard as Chelsea prepare to name West Ham boo boy as manager

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West Ham United fans look set to come face-to-face with boo boy Frank Lampard for the first time as manager next season.

Derby County have confirmed Lampard has been given permission to speak to Chelsea about the vacant manager’s role at Stamford Bridge.

There has been no love lost between West Ham fans and Chelsea legend Lampard over the years.

When will West Ham face Lampard?

And should he be named Blues boss as expected, Lampard will come up against his old club at Stamford Bridge on November 30th before facing the London Stadium crowd on April 4th next year.

Hammers fans’ contempt for Lampard is often misunderstood.

Loathed by the vast majority of the club’s supporters during his playing career after leaving West Ham, Lampard’s situation is a huge bone of contention for fans who feel their reasons for disliking him have been misconstrued by the media and rival fans over the years.

While suggestions of nepotism when Lampard was an emerging talent were regrettable, Lampard was no saint in the bitter relationship.

The retired former England star was a massive West Ham fan as a kid, watching his dad, Frank Senior, carve out legend status at the club.

Lampard, the truth

But the relationship between Lampard and the then Upton Park faithful turned sour when he was sold to London rivals Chelsea and claimed he was not liked by supporters.

Lampard went on to criticise the club and its fans on numerous occasions and received abuse from the terraces whenever the two clubs met.

The fact he would invariably kiss the Chelsea badge to antagonise them further when he inevitably scored against his old side did not help matters, nor did the proclamation that he is Chelsea’s biggest fan.

It would be a stretch to suggest time has been a great healer.

But a large section of West Ham fans respect what Lampard went on to achieve in his career.

Time to bury the hatchet?

He also returned to the club to take part in Tony Carr’s testimonial when he could have easily wriggled out of it had he wanted to.

And most recently he defended Hammers hero Declan Rice when all and sundry were laying into the midfielder for switching allegiance from Republic of Ireland to England, read the full story.

Some will feel it is time to bury the hatchet. Others will undoubtedly be relishing giving Lampard some stick if the songs that still regularly ring out from the Hammers faithful are anything to go by.

What it does do is add spice to a London derby that has lost some of its edge in recent years given the gulf between the two sides.