Frank Lampard has urged Lewis Hall to ‘trust how good he is’ and has insisted the 18-year-old will get chances to impress for Chelsea before the end of the season. Hall has made seven senior appearances this season but has not featured for Chelsea since January. The left-back was included in England’s initial squad for their Under-20 World Cup campaign which begins later this month, but Chelsea refused to release him due to injuries to Ben Chilwell and Marc Cucurella.
When asked if Hall is in contention to start against Nottingham Forest on Saturday, Lampard said: ‘Lewis has a chance, tempted to put him on last week [against Bournemouth] is the word I’d say but I think the nature of the game, the experience of Cesar Azpilicueta in the game was more suitable at that point. I’ll view this game on its merits as well but in terms of Lewis I’ve been really impressed with his training – he’s a very good player, a really talented player. I think, if anything, the one thing he needs is to come out of himself that bit more because he should really trust how good he is and feel at home with the group. I think he does feel that.’
Lampard also defended Chelsea’s decision to block Hall’s release for England’s Under-20 World Cup campaign. ‘It’s our, it’s my decision that he needs to stay with us for the four games,’ Lampard said. ‘We’ve got injuries to both our left-backs who have been playing regularly this season and that leaves us in a position where we want and need Lewis. It feels a mystery to me, I’ll be careful with it because I really didn’t think about the tournament too much a month or so ago. From our point of view, having the power of being able to keep our player is an important thing. Maybe that then jeopardises the World Cup itself and that’s maybe why they should look at it because they want the best players there and from our point of view we need our best players in this moment.
Asked how Hall reacted to the decision, Lampard said: ‘He takes most things the same, quite a straight face. He would have wanted to play for his country and be honoured to represent. Obviously that’s a good thing, maybe normal but a good thing. But also he’s come through this academy and will be desperate for an opportunity and that’s what I sense from him. So I think he did it right on both sides, he would’ve been happy to go but now he’s happy to get some opportunity in these last games.’