Under-fire manager lands top gig one year on from almost donning Rangers suit & brown brogues

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Rangers manager Philippe Clement insists that's going nowhere as pressure mounts on the Belgian at Ibrox.

But the man who found himself in the final two alongside the ex-Club Brugge boss has finally managed to secure himself a new role.

One year on from Frank Lampard only just missing out on the chance to don the Rangers suit and brown brogues, the legendary former England and Chelsea midfielder is back in the dugout.

And his new team's CEO could not be happier.

Photo by Richard Sellers/Sportsphoto/Allstar via Getty Images

Frank Lampard is the new Coventry manager

It's no secret that Championship outfit Coventry City were looking towards Frank Lampard to replace Mark Robins at the Ricoh Arena.

And now Coventry have officially ended that pursuit in success with Lampard, 46, being named the Skyblues' new manager on a two-and-a-half year deal.

It comes with the ambitious club – who made the 2023 Championship Playoff Final – currently 17th in the English Championship table.

Speaking following the appointment, Coventry owner and executive owner Doug King has expressed his delight over the deal.

"I am delighted that Frank Lampard has agreed to join our club as Head Coach," King told the official Coventry website.

"Frank cut his teeth in the Championship and knows what is needed in this League to be successful. 

"His experiences thereafter at Chelsea and Everton will ensure he brings to our talented squad clear understanding of exactly what is needed to succeed at the very top level that we as a Club are striving to reach." 

England legend almost signed for Rangers

Frank Lampard ends an 18-month managerial hiatus by signing the new deal at Coventry, Lamps' last managerial stint as Chelsea interim following the sacking of Graham Potter.

Lampard also took charge of the Chelsea first team between 2019 and 2021, perhaps an ill-advised move after initially impressing as a manager with Derby County.

The England legend also had a stint in charge of Premier League Everton and will now look to rebuild his managerial carerr with Coventry City.

The news comes 12 months after Frank Lampard was named amongst the final two candidates to become the new Rangers manager alongside Philippe Clement.

Rangers legend Souness tipped Lampard to takeover during the recruitment process but the Ibrox board eventually settled on the Belgian.

"We interviewed about five or six of them," said Souness. "I said, 'it's between those two (Lampard & Clement)'.

"The only advantage for me Frank has over Philippe is that he has some experience of the West of Scotland.

"His wife is from Northern Ireland so she will certainly know what it's like.

"In terms of his CV, he has a very impressive CV as well Philippe. He's done well in Belgium and then he went off to the south of France with Monaco.

"He had a little bit of a playing career at Coventry but nothing, no job in football management, prepares you for the West of Scotland. It's another type of challenge."

With the pressure on Philippe Clement to turn the tide at Ibrox this season, there will be some interest in how Frank Lampard performs south of the border.

Another manager strongly-linked to the Rangers gig last year was Kevin Muscat, with the Shanghai Port boss is now believed to be out of the Ibrox side's reach.

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