Mata praise for Lampard

The Spaniard spoke warmly of the midfielder, who has been out of favour under Andre Villas Boas.

“Lampard is a legend here, a legend who keeps on providing a lot of good to the club,” Mata said. “He is a great presence to have in the dressing room and for me, he is a standard-bearer for the entire world of football. I have only known him a few months but he is a great guy and he has been very accommodating to all the new players coming in.

“He has the experience to remain calm even when he’s not playing, to know that there will be times when he will play because there are so many games. He still has a lot to give. He will score a lot of goals and play a lot of games this season, I’m sure.”