‘I couldn’t say no to Frank Lampard – he was calling two or three times a day to sign me’

Amadou Onana has showered Frank Lampard with praise for giving him the opportunity to play in the Premier League by signing him for Everton from Lille during the 2022 summer transfer window

Amadou Onana has said that Frank Lampard was calling him “two, three times a day” before he signed him for Everton. The 23-year-old, who carved out a reputation at clubs like TSG Hoffenheim II, Hamburger SV and Lille, caught Lampard’s eye during the 2022 summer transfer window, leading to a successful transfer to Goodison Park for £33million in a five-year deal.

And Onana has now shared that Lampard’s relentless pursuit played a significant role in convincing him to join Everton, along with the former midfielder’s illustrious status as one of England’s footballing legends. Speaking on The Inside Scoop, Onana said: “So back in Senegal there are two big leagues [in] my time, when I was a kid, that people would watch on tele.

“Premier League or maybe La Liga. And if you say Premier League, you can’t say Premier League without Frank Lampard. And shout out to him, he was calling me like every day.

“But when I say every day, it’s like every day like two, three times a day, do you know what I mean? And back to little Ama, I’m thinking, ‘Rah, Frank Lampard calling my phone. This is crazy.’

“And obviously it’s hard to say no, bro. It’s hard to say no – especially because the player he’s been, you just can’t say no. As a midfielder as well, I knew that I could learn a lot under him. He could bring me to the next level like they say. So yeah, I had to give in.

“When I used to see Frank Lampard on my phone, I used to think about the long-shots. I used to think like, ‘Them man and [Steven] Gerrard… it’s him.’ So big shout out to him for giving me the opportunity, because that was my dream as well – playing in the Premier League. I’ve always wanted to play in the Prem.”

When asked if Lampard would get involved during training sessions, Onana added: “Yeah, sometimes. You know when you’re doing little shooting rounds? Like the one-touch finish? Still got it.”

Lampard’s stint at Everton, where he managed Onana, lasted from January 2022 to January 2023 before he returned to Chelsea as caretaker manager following Graham Potter’s departure in April of the latter year.

He returned to the dugout full-time to take charge of Coventry City last November. The Sky Blues enjoyed an extremely strong start under Lampard’s tutelage, finishing sixth in the Championship before losing in the play-off semi-finals.

Their promotion aspirations were dashed by a 3-2 aggregate defeat to Sunderland, which means they’ll remain in the second tier for the 2025/26 season. Many supporters will be hoping that Lampard continues to utilise his astute negotiation skills at the Coventry Building Society Arena this summer, bringing in new talent to aid in their push for the Premier League.

Miguel Ángel Brau was unveiled as the club’s first signing of the transfer window last week, but more new faces could be on the horizon ahead of pre-season. Coventry are reportedly keen on Blackburn midfielder Lewis Travis, but they’ll have to outmanoeuvre fierce competition to secure the 27-year-old’s services, with Derby and Wrexham also said to be interested.

In addition, 22-year-old Aston Villa centre-back Kaine Kesler-Hayden has been linked with a move to Coventry City, but with Southampton and Middlesbrough also in the mix, the decision could ultimately come down to the player’s personal preference.

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