Lampard has an eye on Brazil

Chelsea star Frank Lampard says he is targeting a few more years playing for England, and thinks Euro 2012 may not be his last major tournament.

Lampard has been in fine form in recent weeks and has been rewarded with the captain’s armband for Saturday’s friendly against Spain in preparation for Euro 2012 – an international tournament he hopes will not be his last.

“I don’t completely accept it (Euro 2012) is my last tournament,” Lampard said.

“By saying that, I’ve certainly not made up my mind up to pull out of contention post-Euros.”

“I’m certainly very realistic. If I feel that it’s beyond me to carry on playing, that it’s detrimental to myself at Chelsea and I’m not offering enough to England, then I’ll make that decision.”

“I won’t accept that yet, but I understand that (the 2014 World Cup in) Brazil is a long way away for me, personally.”

David Beckham appears to have played his last game for England but refuses to rule himself out through retirement, which is something Lampard can identify with.

“At the moment I do. I don’t know if that’s always how I’ll feel,” he said.

“David’s situation is slightly different. He’s been playing in America for a few years now. It’s a different level of football and pace of football.”

“Probably the only time I’d think of extracting myself out of it would be if I wasn’t getting picked enough, and it was common knowledge.”

“It wouldn’t even be worth saying it then, in a way – or if it was beneficial for me to have breaks in mid-season and not to be playing games in the summer time, in terms of prolonging my Chelsea career.”

“At the moment, I can’t see myself retiring. When you’re younger you kind of think you’ll maybe retire at a certain age. You see other players doing it.”

“But, as I’ve got older, I’ve started to realise you’re a long time retired.”

“For all the bits of help you get in terms of fitness by not playing for England, I realise I’ll be sitting there wishing I’d pushed that bit harder, got another 50 caps and worked that little bit more.”

“If I didn’t think I was good enough to be playing, I wouldn’t be here. I’d say ‘don’t bother to pick me because I wouldn’t be helping anyone’.”

View the original article here