After tough times at Chelsea and Everton, Frank Lampard is finding success again as a football manager.
It’s not hard to see why he’s doing well, especially considering his high IQ. The Coventry boss is known for his intelligence, scoring 150 on an IQ test, placing him in the top 1-2% of the UK’s smartest people.
How many football managers do you know who could join Mensa? Lampard’s IQ of 150 is certainly impressive.
Lampard mentioned that he took an IQ test at Chelsea after John Terry’s head injury in the Carabao Cup final. The club doctor wanted a baseline IQ for all players in case of future head injuries.
“It’s true, my IQ is 150!” Lampard said. “I took the test at Chelsea. I just found it easy. But I am quite proud of it. The best part was that my score of 150 was a bit higher than my wife Christine’s.”
He joked that although he scored higher, Christine is probably smarter in everyday life.
Lampard also did well in school, getting good grades in his GCSE exams, including an A-star in Latin.
He took over as Coventry manager in November, replacing Mark Robins when the team was 17th in the Championship.
Now, just three months later, it looks like a brilliant decision. Lampard has turned Coventry into a team competing for the play-offs.
Coventry is heading to Oxford United with confidence, having won seven of their last eight matches. Their only loss was against league leaders Leeds.
After difficult spells at Everton and Chelsea, Lampard is clearly enjoying being back in management.
He could have stayed in his comfortable role as a TV pundit, but he feels driven to manage and believes he has learned from past experiences to become a successful top-level manager.
“I enjoyed working in the media for a year, it kept me in the game,” he said. “But being a manager is what I love most. I love the daily challenge, even with the frustrations.”
“People might say I don’t need to do it, but it’s not about the money. I’m 46, I love to work, and I’m doing what I’m passionate about.”
He admits media work is easier, especially commenting on games after they’ve happened. Management is much harder.
Lampard is aware of criticism, even from former teammates turned pundits. He takes it in stride, understanding that some critics may not fully grasp the complexities of management if they haven’t experienced it themselves.
He was a fighter as a player and remains competitive as a manager.
Many talented English players from his generation have struggled in management, like Wayne Rooney, Gary Neville, Paul Scholes, John Terry, and Steven Gerrard. Lampard doesn’t see himself as the last hope for that “Golden Generation.”
He believes it’s unfair to say great players don’t make great managers, pointing to successful examples like Zinedine Zidane, Carlo Ancelotti, and Pep Guardiola. He dismisses the idea as “nonsense.”
