Post by Taxigirl on Feb 5, 2004 9:31:14 GMT
England assistant coach Tord Grip says that Frank Lampard is the perfect example for young players to follow, and also had praise for Bolton's Kevin Nolan.
Chelsea's midfield maestro has been in sparkling form so far this season for Claudio Ranieri's side, and that has not gone unnoticed within the England hierarchy.
Grip says that Lampard is the perfect example for young players to follow if they want to be successful - comments which can only be good for Lampard's international aspirations.
"Our younger players should look at someone like Frank and see just how hard he has worked at his game," said Grip.
"He has an excellent work ethic and has used that to improve his game.
"Frank always had vision and technique but now he has the strength too.
"That's because he has worked so hard."
Bolton's Kevin Nolan could also be playing his way into the England picture, as Grip admitted he had been impressed by his displays for Sam Allardyce's side.
"I've seen Kevin Nolan a few times and he's clearly a good footballer," Grip told the FA website.
"He had good attributes as an offensive midfielder and has scored quite a few goals. Some cracking ones even.
"What we must say about midfielders though is that there is tough competition there. To get into the team, you need to get ahead of people like David Beckham,Paul Scholes, Steven Gerrard, Frank Lampard and Scott Parker.
"You also have players such as Jermaine Jenas, Nicky Butt, Kieron Dyer, Owen Hargreaves and Joe Cole too.
"It is a challenge for the young players coming through but in three or four years, perhaps after the 2006 World Cup, we might be looking at a whole new generation of England players coming through."