Frank Lampard hailed as 'perfect' by boyhood Chelsea fan now shining for Coventry City

Frank Lampard hailed as 'perfect' by boyhood Chelsea fan now shining for Coventry City

Jack Rudoni, 25, idolised Lampard growing up and has thrived under his stewardship in the West Midlands and is now looking to make a Premier League splash

Daily Mirror

There is no one better to learn from than Frank Lampard reckons Coventry City star Jack Rudoni. And he's tapping into his manager's insight and knowledge as his bids to make a Premier League splash.

Chelsea fan Rudoni, 25, idolised Lampard growing up and has thrived under his stewardship in the West Midlands. The former AFC Wimbledon star has featured in every game this season and was one of the players who helped seal the Sky Blues’ first top-flight win for 25 years at Nottingham Forest before the international break.

Rudoni has racked up almost 100 appearances since arriving from Huddersfield two years ago and is relishing the prospect of Newcastle ’s Monday night trip to the Coventry Building Society Arena. And he hopes working under legend Lampard can catapult his career to the next level.

He said: “As a midfield player and Chelsea fan growing up, there is probably no one better to learn from [than Frank]. He was one of my idols growing up – I’d only ever seen him on the TV before, so it was amazing to meet him for the first time, work with him last season and now in the Premier League.

“He’s great on the training ground, always teaching me little bits and pieces and things to improve on. He’s a great coach and perfect mentor. It’s been great to challenge myself this season – but I don’t really think of it like that.

“When I’m out there, it’s just 11 versus 11 and I’m in the moment against the opposition. I don’t really care who it is – I just want to go out there and beat them.

“But it is good to play against certain players – you learn a lot and we’re learning quick. The quality is a lot better [than last season] but I’m enjoying it. I feel like myself and the team can perform under Frank this year, and I can’t wait for the next block of games.”

Coventry endured a difficult start to the season as a tough run of games saw them still searching for their first point – and goal – ahead of their trip to the City Ground. But Jay Dasilva’s brilliant strike triggered wild scenes in the away end to finally get Lampard’s side off the mark.

Newcastle make the journey to Coventry on Monday night before an intriguing trip to bottom-of-the-table Tottenham beckons seven days later. Rudoni, who has started four of the Sky Blues’ five league games so far, knows it was a tricky start but believes the squad are learning game by game. And he hopes that much-needed win on the Trent can lay the foundations for climbing up the table.

He added: “It’s been a really good experience and good learning so far. Results haven’t been what we wanted but you can see game by game we’ve got better and better.

“They were hard fixtures and we learned a lot out of those games – we’re positive now leading into the next block. The Nottingham Forest game really came together and was a really solid performance away from home – it was a really big win for us.

“We needed the first goal – not getting one for the first four games was frustrating, and we’d come close a few times. That’s given us a lot of confidence – we know we can get results in this league.

“It was a great win and great moment for us – but it doesn’t stop now and we need to go and get more results.”