Frank Lampard has been named the EFL Championship Manager of the Season after guiding Coventry City to promotion.
Coventry, the dominant force in the second-tier this season, have not dropped out of the Championship top two since September and are a win away from going up to the Premier League as champions, having already secured automatic promotion.
Lampard has been at the forefront of the side’s success since taking over in November 2024, and has gone one step further this term after overseeing a failed playoff bid last season.
He will now lead the Sky Blues into their first Premier League season since 2001.
“I was emotional the other night [securing promotion at Blackburn] because it dawned on me in that moment what we had acheived,” Lampard said after winning the award on Sunday.
“A club that I walked into 16 months ago that had gone to the depths and back up, and football is always about people and always about supporters and I’d missed it.
“You have to credit Mark Robins [previous head coach] for what he did at the club, the owner Doug King and appreciate the moment, and I’m working with a great group of players.
“When you walk into a group forget the football talent, that’s obviously important but when they look after themselves, they train well, they support each other, they have a laugh, that’s the gold. It’s an incredible story and I’m please to be a part of it.”
Coventry achieved promotion as a non-parachute payment (financial packages given to relegated clubs by the Premier League) receiving club and will now make the step up to the top-flight that will not only be challenging on the pitch but also in the boardroom.
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Lampard said he wants the club to be “ambitious” in the summer but is also aware of the challenge the Premier League will pose to a Coventry side that have been away from the big time for so long.
“There’s alot of work to do because we know the step that it will be for the football club,” the former Chelsea and Everton boss told Sky Sports.
“So that’s something we have to work on quickly now because of where we’re at, we have to be ambitious — we’re Coventry City football club.
“I know what the Premier League is and its going to be a challenge, we can enjoy the moment for the next two weeks, but of course we have to work behind the scenes to ensure we go up the right way.”
