The only way is up for England's Frank Lampard.
"The complete player"
By Dan Freedman. Wednesday, 30 November 2005.
Sven-Goran Eriksson believes that England midfielder Frank Lampard is the complete footballer.
After Frank was shortlisted for the FIFA World Player of the Year award on Wednesday night, the England coach revealed his admiration for the Chelsea star, as both a player and a person.
"I am absolutely delighted for Frank," he told us. "We have already seen this week how highly regarded he is in Europe and now this shows what people think of him all over the world.
"He is one of the best midfielders in the world right now. I can think of almost no weakness in his game. He has tremendous energy, a complete range of passing - both long and short, he can tackle and he scores more goals from midfield than most strikers.
"Add to that his fitness and consistency, which have now created new records in England, and you can see how many assets he has a player.
"As a person, he is very much someone you want to work with. He has drive and a huge ambition to succeed but he still wants to learn and improve his game, which he has done so much in the last two or three years. He is an excellent ambassador for English football and football in general. I want to say well done to Frank and good luck."
The England dynamo has been named alongside Barcelona pair Ronaldinho and Samuel Eto'o for the prestigious award.
The nomination caps an excellent week for the 27 year old, who has scored ten goals in 38 games for his country.
On Sunday Lampard set a new Premier League record when he clocked up his 160th consecutive appearance for the Blues against Portsmouth.
Just 24 hours later, the Chelsea man was voted the second best player in Europe, behind Barcelona star Ronaldinho.
The majestic Brazilian, winner of the World award in 2004, is favourite to retain his title as best footballer on the planet, but Lampard's nomination is another notable achievement for the Englishman and a further feather in the cap for English football.
No English player has won the award since it was introduced in 1991.
Gary Lineker came third in the inaugural year, Alan Shearer came third in 1996, and David Beckham second in 1999 and 2001.
The award will be announced on 19 December.
Frank's important goals from midfield are one of the reasons for his nomination. Relive one of his ten strikes for his country by clicking the link below.