I went to school with Frank Lampard, he got tons of stick when he joined West Ham but he’s a big inspiration to me

EDDIE HEARN has revealed that Frank Lampard was a big inspiration to him growing up.

The duo both attended Brentwood School in Essex in the early 1990s.

Lampard, now 45, joined West Ham as a kid – the team his dad had played for with distinction for 18 years.

Hearn, 44, claims that Lamps received plenty of accusations of nepotism at the time – but was in awe of how he rose above it to become a resounding success.

The Matchroom promoter, whose on dad is legendary promoter Barry Hearn, lifted the lid on his admiration for Lampard during a recent appearance on The Overlap’s Stick to Football show.

He said: “It’s like Lampard, you know, he was at my school, he was the year above me.

“I would watch him and every night his old man would take him over the field and they would do drills, they would sprints and I couldn’t believe it you know.

“He’s a big inspiration to me because when he left school and went to West Ham he got so much stick everyone saying ‘Oh it’s Frank’s son, Harry [Redknapp] is his uncle, he’s only getting in [because of them] and it’s a joke’.

“And now, with all due respect to his dad, who even knows his dad used to play football?

“So people like Lampard [are a big inspiration to me], I think what he’s done is amazing.”

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Lampard appeared on Hearn’s podcast No Passion No Point in 2020, and opened up about his time at Brentwood.

Asked about his school days, the Chelsea legend said: “I’ve got great experiences of Brentwood and I loved the school, I think it’s a great school.

“It really holds a big place in my heart because however much I made it in the football world, I always talk to young players now about the importance of education.

“I certainly feel fortunate that my parents were in a position to give me that education, without a doubt.

“But, as I grew up, weekends would be playing football with my mates in the Sunday team, I had some local mates.

“My dad was from Canning Town, which is quite a tough area, so he was very pushy, very driven with me.

“And then when I went into school it was like a different kind of a bubble. It was a bit softer in its way.

“Pushed very well in the education and manners and trying to do the right thing. We’d sit in church and sing hymns around Christmas time and all that stuff.

“It was a different set to what I had at home. When I look back I actually feel a little bit fortunate for that because I saw both sides.

“Not to say my dad and my parents didn’t make me act in the right way. They did. But it was a different school of thought and a different school of education so I kinda got both sides I think.”

Source: Soccer - thesun.co.uk