“I am trying to beat Lampard” – Former Chelsea midfielder jokes about chasing record after sealing summer transfer
Former Chelsea star Nemanja Matic has quipped that he aims to break Frank Lampard's record as the midfielder with the most appearances under Jose Mourinho after joining AS Roma.
Matic announced in April that he will put an end to his five-year association with Manchester United this summer. The 33-year-old has since gone on to join Italian top-flight club Roma on a one-year deal.
𝗪𝗘𝗟𝗖𝗢𝗠𝗘 | Nemanja Matic 
🆕 𝗪𝗘𝗟𝗖𝗢𝗠𝗘 | Nemanja Matic 🐺🇷🇸
The club is delighted to confirm the Serbian midfielder as our first signing of the summer - and proud to continue to raise awareness in the search for missing children all around the world. ❤️
#ASRoma | @ICMEC_official https://t.co/pwOtr8id5M
The move has seen the Serbia international link up with Mourinho once again. Having previously worked with the 59-year-old at Chelsea and Manchester United, he is now keen to play under him in Rome.
Matic has now expressed his delight at reuniting with his former manager Mourinho at Roma. He also revealed that he has set his eyes on becoming the midfielder with the most appearances under the Portuguese tactician. He was quoted as saying by GOAL:
“With Mourinho we know each other well and I am happy to find him here [at Roma]. I’m here for him, but I’m happy to be part of this great club, it’s attractive for players and it was for me."
“I am trying to beat Lampard as the player with the most appearances under Mourinho. I think the team has great quality players with youngsters who can be important in the future. I can’t wait to start.”
🗣 "He was one of the reasons why I chose Roma"
Nemanja Matic says reuniting with José Mourinho was a big reason for his move from Man Utd to Roma and he's eyeing a record set by Frank Lampard 👇 https://t.co/G7q9DP4N43
Lampard played a total of 215 matches under Mourinho's management during his time as a Chelsea star. Matic, on the other hand, has made 159 appearances during the Portuguese's stints with the Blues and Manchester United.
The Serbian will have to play 57 more matches for Mourinho to break Lampard's record. He would thus have to extend his contract with Roma beyond the end of the 2022-23 season to achieve the feat.
Former Chelsea defender holds the record for most appearances under Mourinho
Ricardo Carvalho holds the record for the most appearances under Mourinho, having played 292 matches for him. The former defender worked with the Portuguese at FC Porto, Chelsea and Real Madrid.
Blues legend John Terry sits behind Carvalho, having made 266 appearances under the Roma boss. Lampard is placed third on the list, while Matic is still some way off.
The former Manchester United star will now look to establish himself as a regular under Mourinho once again. It remains to be seen if he can displace Lampard as the midfielder with the most appearances under the Portuguese.