Lampard to be loud and proud

Frank Lampard, normally the kind of serious and professionally-focused character more concerned with leading by example than with bawling out instructions to his team-mates, is exercising his vocal chords this week as he prepares to step into John Terry’s shoes and captain Chelsea in the Champions League final against Bayern Munich.

Terry, of course, is suspended for the match in Germany after being sent off in the semi-final in Barcelona and Chelsea know they will miss not only his defensive power but also his vocal power in a match they must face without four key players — and against a team playing in their home stadium.

But the Stamford Bridge club are lucky because their team is not short on leaders. Didier Drogba does it in his own way up front, Petr Cech has captained from his position in goal in the past; and Lampard, who for years has formed a wonderfully-balanced partnership with Terry in the Chelsea hierarchy, is the most natural replacement of all – as he proved in the Nou Camp.