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The son of West Ham hero Frank Snr, who became a coach and assistant-manager. The nephew of Tottenham boss Harry Redknapp. The cousin of former England midfielder Jamie Redknapp, who is now a respected media pundit. Yet the 32-year-old Chelsea star surveyed his life after hanging up his boots and revealed: “After I finish I don't want to be involved with football – not as a manager, coach, agent or in the media. “I want to have a career after this. I don't want this to be everything. “I don't want to spend the rest of my life just living in the past. “I've been getting to know a lot about property, not just for me to live in, but as a business. “That interests me. I've met a lot of people in that game, I listen to them and take on board what they can teach me. “I'm learning about it and investing in it. I've got time in between football and family to do that.” As he prepares for today's official curtain-raiser to the new season, the Community Shield clash with Manchester United, Lampard really is looking forward to whatever the future holds. Admittedly, the wounds from England's disastrous World Cup campaign remain painful. But while Paul Scholes, United's midfield talisman, opted to retire from international football to concentrate on club commitments, there will be no such move from the Chelsea star. Lampard said: “We went to the World Cup on a high after an impressive qualifying campaign and I can't begin to tell you how disappointed I was. “But I want to carry on with England. “The thought of retiring has never crossed my mind. “At the end of the day, only one team wins the World Cup and the rest go home at some stage and don't win it so the talking is by the by. “It is great for the people who are involved in that sort of thing, but it doesn't actually make any difference. We'll try and carry on, that's what we have to do. We'll have to come back and try and perform.” Lampard is happy to focus on Chelsea's title defence. He said: “The expectations remain the same. “You know when you are going into a new campaign with Chelsea that you are under pressure to deliver. “Given all the investment in the side and the progress we have made since Roman Abramovich bought the club, it's understandable that the owner and supporters want to see a winning side on the pitch. Winning the Double last season was a huge achievement for the club. “It will arguably go down as the best year in Chelsea's history. “But the onus is on us to sustain that success. “Defending the title is always harder because everyone is out to beat you. “The teams that missed out will be nursing the pain and disappointment that comes with that and will go into the campaign with greater determination.” And as he gets older the pain of defeat still hurts him. Lampard added: “It is harder after you've had that feeling of winning. “You realise how special it is, it hurts even more when you lose. “I loathe it, but as you become older you accept you are not going to win everything. “There will be patches in your career when you are unlucky or you don't win things. “The older you get, the more rounded you are to deal with those things.”
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