Frank Lampard Admits Man Utd Player Made Him Realise He Needed To Retire

Frank Lampard realised he needed to retire from international football because of a current Manchester United player.

The legendary Chelsea and England midfielder decided to call time on his 21-year playing career with New York City in 2016.

He is one of only 10 players to earn 100 caps for the Three Lions, while he won 13 trophies with Chelsea including five Premier League titles and the 2012 Champions League.

Lampard is the highest-scoring central midfielder in Premier League history, netting on 174 occasions.

After retirement, he became a head coach, and after spells with Derby, Chelsea and Everton, he is now in charge of Championship table-toppers Coventry.

The Sky Blues top the division by five points after 15 games played, and have already hit 40 goals in the league so far this season.

His Premier League playing career was initially believed to be over when he was released by Chelsea in the summer of 2014, but he returned to English football with Manchester City for the 2014/15 season.

The move was controversial as he had been announced as a new signing for MLS franchise New York City - Manchester City's parent club - before his arrival at the Etihad Stadium.

The deal with City was originally reported as a loan move, but it was subsequently confirmed that he had signed a short-term contract with City, which was extended before he then finally moved to New York in the summer of 2015.

Lampard still had plenty to offer at the time, and netted six goals in 32 league appearances for Manuel Pellegrini's defending champions - even if his performances did marginally tail off towards the end of the campaign.

He spent 18 months with New York City, playing the entirety of the 2016 MLS season before calling time on his career at the age of 38.

Lampard specifically cited his age as the main reason behind his retirement, stating: "At 38, I feel now is the time to begin the next chapter in my life."

Two years earlier, he retired from international football after 109 caps.

The Coventry boss would reveal that a conversation with a Manchester United player contributed to his decision - by very much making him feel his age.

He explained (via The Independent): "I was having a chat with Luke Shaw, and I mentioned Tony Adams. And he didn't seem to know who I was talking about.

"I said, 'Are you winding me up?'

"And he said: 'Who did he play for?' I knew then that it was time to retire."

It isn't clear whether Shaw - who wasn't born when Adams won his opening two First Division titles - was being entirely serious or not.

Dominating centre-back Adams, of course, spent his entire 19-year professional career with Arsenal, winning four top-flight titles either side of the 1992 Premier League rebrand.

🎙️ "Would you believe it!"

🗓️ On this day in 1998, Tony Adams scored THAT goal against Everton... pic.twitter.com/E3V8wwk97y

— Arsenal (@Arsenal) May 3, 2025

He collected 66 caps for England, representing them at three tournaments.

However, during arguably his peak years between 1990 and 1994, Adams didn't play in any of the major tournaments held - as he was left out of the squad in 1990, was injured in 1992 and England didn't qualify for the 1994 World Cup.

Shaw, meanwhile, was born in 1995, and would have been six years old when Adams called time on his professional career.