‘He’s low maintenance, he works hard, he’s eager to engage’: Frank Lampard heaps praise on ‘laid back’ Edouard Mendy and insists there’s ‘more to come’ from Chelsea’s new No 1 ahead of his return to Rennes in the Champions League
- Chelsea keeper Edouard Mendy is set to face his old side Rennes on Wednesday
- The Senegal star has made a bright start to his career at Stamford Bridge
- He has five clean sheets in his first six games and has improved their defence
- Lampard hailed him as ‘low maintenance’ and a personality in the dressing room
- He praised his work ethic and said he ‘brings a sense of calm’ to the back four
Chelsea boss Frank Lampard hailed goalkeeper Edouard Mendy’s impact on and off the pitch ahead of his return to former side Rennes, saying he ‘brings a sense of calm’ to their defence.
Mendy has had a superb impact since arriving at Stamford Bridge for £22million this summer, keeping five clean sheets in his first six games and helping to shore things up at the back after some chaotic defensive performances.
The Blues were in the midst of a goalkeeping crisis with £72m flop Kepa Arrizabalaga making a handful of costly errors this season while veteran Wily Cabellero was not seen as a dependable option either, forcing Lampard into the market for Mendy.
Frank Lampard has hailed the quick impact Edouard Mendy has made since arriving at Chelsea
The Blues boss praised his work ethic and his unique personality in the dressing room
The Senegal international has caught the eye with some smart stops and commanding displays in his goal to help lift Chelsea up the table.
Lampard was left raving about his speedy impact but said one of the main reasons for signing him was his personality in the dressing room and a desire to connect with his teammates.
‘When you come in and perform as he has – he has made very good start with us,’ he said ahead of their clash with the Ligue 1 side on Wednesday.
‘He’s shown his qualities that we brought him here for. It’s given confidence to those around him and he should take credit alongside others.
He believes Mendy ‘brings a sense of calm’ to the defence after five clean sheets in six games
‘When we were into looking to signing him, [Petr] Cech was heavily involved. All the feedback I was getting was his great personality in dressing room. Everything I heard, the positives came through.
‘He’s low maintenance, he works hard, he’s eager to engage with his teammates and myself. He’s played well and it’s really positive when a player hits the ground running on pitch and in the dressing room.’
He’s only conceded once in his early Chelsea career so far, against Tottenham in the Carabao Cup, and has since tightened up a leaky defence – with the team previously blowing leads against West Brom and Southampton to draw 3-3.
He made an excellent save to keep out a Marcus Rashford effort against Manchester United
Lampard said Mendy was ‘low maintenance’ and a ‘laid back’ figure on the training pitch
And while there can’t be any complaints about his displays thus far, Lampard tipped him to get even better and praised his ‘massive work ethic’ and relaxed atmosphere in training.
‘He’s been very complete so far, he’s made clean sheets and saves in moments that have certainly helped us and in games where it could’ve gone the other way.
‘He brings a sense of calm in his distrubtion and coming for crosses. I’m sure he’ll improve, he’s settling in still. It’s been a really good start – I’m confident in him. There’s more to come. With his attitude, with how he wants to work, I think he can go much further in many departments.
‘What I’ve seen is a player that has a massive work ethic to train every day, that’s the feedback I get. He smiles every day, he doesn’t ask a million questions but little things about his relationship with the players. I love players to engage with each other. He hasn’t knocked on my door much. He seems pretty laid back.’
Chelsea are currently top of Group E after a home draw against Sevilla before beating Krasnodar 4-0 in Russia.
Advertisement
