Lampard was one of Chelsea and England's outstanding players last year as he proved to be a major driving force in both sides' quest for major honours.

In the end though, both Chelsea and England came up short. The Blues finished second in the Premiership and were knocked out of the Champions League in the semi-finals whilst England reached the last eight at Euro 2004.

For Lampard then, a case of 'so near and yet so far' but the experiences of last season are serving him well now as he looks to go that one step further in the forthcoming campaign.

"There were frustrations last season and Euro 2004 really stuck in the throat because there was such a belief in the squad that we could really do something," Lampard said.

"I did dwell on that and it was also frustrating that Chelsea finished second in the Premiership and reached the semi-final of the European Cup but no further."

Lampard scored three goals in his four games in Portugal and was rewarded for his efforts with a place in UEFA's Squad of the Tournament. 

"As time goes by, though, I have come to the conclusion that I have to be pleased with the season I had.

"I played a lot of games, forced my way into the England team and played every game in Portugal."

England's ultimate defeat on penalties to the hosts was a bitter pill to swallow but overall Lampard is delighted to have been involved in his first major international tournament. 

"The more I thought about it the more I thought what a great experience it was and what great occasions there were, things that I will never, ever forget.

"You can't avoid mulling over things but in the end it makes you more determined to avoid making those little mistakes and make sure we go all the way."

"We couldn't have done any more [and] in the end it didn't work for us. Small differences in football can mean you're out of the competition."