25 March 2005    
Frank Lampard press conference

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Lampard is still haunted by the penalty shoot-out defeat against Portugal in Lisbon which cost his side the chance to win some major silverware.

After scoring the crucial equaliser in extra-time which took the game to penalties, Lampard could only watch with horror as Portugal went onto win the game and send England home empty-handed.

The Chelsea midfielder has been one of the star performers in the Premiership over the last couple of years which has seen him cement his place in the England team.

And after scoring three goals at the European Championships last summer, Lampard now has the appetite to help England win the World Cup next year.

Lampard said: “I scored three goals during Euro 2004 and those few weeks were probably the most enjoyable of my career.

“It was terrible for me when we went out because it was going so well for me personally. I know how it feels to be there and the buzz of possibly winning it, so I want to be back there.

“It was a horrible moment going out of the tournament and it wasn’t just on the evening of the game and getting knocked out by penalties – it is the repercussions which go through the next week and throughout the summer.

“When you go on holiday, you are still thinking about things and it is very disappointing. We went there thinking we could win it and we didn’t.

“We had good preparations for Euro 2004 and trained very well in England and when we went to Sardinia.

“All you can do is look forward now and when you look at the quality of players we have got in the squad, we have got to prepare right because it could make all the difference in going all the way.”

After going so close in Portugal again, Lampard knows the time has come for the squad to bring a major trophy back to England.

Lampard has already had a taste of silverware this season winning the Carling Cup with Chelsea and now wants to take that success onto the international stage.

Lampard added: “We haven't yet done it for England and of course that is the next step.

“We're all ambitious individuals and we want to win for both our clubs and England. We are all patriotic and want to see ourselves, the team and the country do well.

“It's not easy for England - we have tournaments every two years if we qualify and there's a lot of big teams out there.

“But there is a belief, not only at Chelsea but in the England squad among the individuals and collectively that we can go on and win things and that's what we're looking to do at the next World Cup.

“Obviously we have a lot of players in the squad - not just the Chelsea boys - who know what it's like to win things.

“The Manchester United boys, David Beckham and the Liverpool boys, so I think we've got a good mixture of people who have won things and we're all pulling in the same direction.”

Lampard will certainly be hoping the England players pull in the same direction when they face Northern Ireland in a vital World Cup qualifier at Old Trafford.

His Chelsea team-mate Joe Cole has been dominating all the headlines for the Premiership leaders in recent weeks following some outstanding displays for Jose Mourinho’s side.

Cole is being tipped to play on the left against Northern Ireland and Lampard believes he will let any-body down if he is handed a starting place in the side.

He said: “Joe has been a bit unfortunate at Chelsea because we have Damien Duff and Arjen Robben who have both been fantastic players.

“But what Joe has done in the last month is come in and we haven't missed Arjen - that's how well he's done.

“So he deserves his place if he's picked on Saturday. That's the sort of performance that Joe has got to put in consistently and if he does it consistently for Chelsea he'll keep getting his chances for England.

“He's worked very hard, has improved and will hopefully get more chances.

“I've been in that situation and you've just got to keep performing well. You get your head down and make your own luck in that way.

“I remember when Joe was a 14 year old and everyone was talking about him when I was at West Ham - I never quite had that.

“It's a different thing with Joe and only he knows how hard that is to handle. But he has played very well for Chelsea over the last month or so and proved he's learnt the game and all credit to him.”

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