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CARLO ANCELOTTI left a lasting impression on Frank Lampard, landing a round within hours of being fired by Chelsea.
They were the last orders for coach Ancelotti in May 2011 in a hallway at Goodison Park where the two men will meet again tonight.
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The removal of the brilliant and successful Italian remains the most disconcerting of the nine men who received the boot from owner Roman Abramovich during his 17 years in office.
Lampard said: “He had a very laid back demeanor about him, which I appreciated. But underneath that was a hard edge, that was very evident.
“I didn’t want to talk too much with my manager, I just wanted to do my job, but I always felt comfortable with him when I had those personal conversations.
“I have specific moments in my time with him that I remember. One was the night he left the club and actually came and had a couple of beers with us at The Plow over the road in Cobham.
“On another occasion I was with Andrea Pirlo in Vancouver and we all had dinner together at an Italian restaurant and it was a fantastic evening.
“I have great respect for him. He has the personal touch, he got it.
“And the best thing is that he is sincere. He’s honest in everything he does and that’s very refreshing. “
Ancelotti was fired after a 1-0 loss when Chelsea finished second in the league but without a trophy, unthinkable in those days.
Lamps was fourth without a cup in his first season in charge, which means there is additional pressure now in his second season.
Ancelotti won the Premier League and double the FA Cup the year before he was fired and inspired Lampard to become Chelsea’s top scorer with 211 goals.
Lampard said: “I remember that season because I didn’t start very well.
“Carlo came in and we played in a diamond formation with me at the top, which on paper may have seemed right but he was finding it difficult.
“My game was fluid and I wanted to have the opportunity to reach the area. I went quite a few games without scoring a goal, and I remember having an honest conversation with Carlo.
“He was very open with me and I remember that he impressed me a lot, not only because that meant that my position changed a bit and I managed to start playing better, but also because of how he handled a difficult period for me.
“From then on, the season was smooth sailing, so he brought out a tune from the whole team.”
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One of Lampard’s key themes is hard work, which is why he admires Everton forward Dominic Calvert-Lewin, who has 16 goals for his club and his country this season after having passed through the ranks of Sheffield United.
Lampard said: “Talking about an opposition player is a bit different, but what I respect about Calvert-Lewin is that it feels like a career that he has really worked on.
“That sounds simple but it is not an easy path.
“Not everyone makes their first team at 17 or 18, except for the Wayne Rooney and Michael Owen types of the world.
“Others have to find different paths and he has shown himself, last season and particularly this season, he is consistently a complete forward.
“Every part of his game is a real threat.
“When I see him as a rival forward, who has rightly joined the England team and adapted to that, he is a great threat to us.”
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