Young footballers are given far too easy a ride by clubs and their commitment has suffered as a result, according to Frank Lampard. The England and Chelsea midfielder believes players are more indulged now than when he was a junior, allowing them to fall into a comfort zone that has prevented many from maturing more quickly.
"Not enough of them are [professional],'' Lampard said yesterday. "It's something I feel very strongly about. There are good young pros out there but nowadays it's made much too easy for them.
"We're all lucky to be where we are, leading nice lifestyles, but that lifestyle is coming earlier and earlier. The lads are forgetting the hard work that needs to be done to earn that lifestyle. Sometimes when you mix with international players and have a taste of the trimmings at 16, 17 or 18, you can forget you're not there yet."
Lampard claims his experiences of cleaning senior players' boots promoted an attitude that led to his reputation as a hard worker. It's something he says is lacking in today's young players.
"I'm close to one or two of the younger Chelsea boys. I'm not digging out everyone. There are some who are good young lads who want to be top players. We have a fantastic academy at Chelsea. But players don't clean boots any more and I'm a big advocate of that.
"Me and John [Terry] always complain that they should be cleaning boots because it was a great learning curve for us, being told off by Julian Dicks and having the boots thrown back at you. Once that's gone, an edge can be taken off. If that stops players being as good as they should be that's bad. I work very hard. If I take my foot off the gas, I feel my game go down a level.''
The midfielder also believes his reputation with the England fans has reached a turning point and says the abuse he suffered has made him a better player.
"The first time you get a bit of stick it does affect you," he said. "You are only human. Gradually it becomes a lot easier to deal with. You start thinking it doesn't matter too much and concentrate on doing your job. But it has actually made me a bit stronger for coming through it."
