Chelsea must offer Lampard new deal, says Dwight Yorke & Wilkins

Chelsea must offer Frank Lampard an extension to his contract, according to Ray Wilkins and Dwight Yorke, after they watched the midfielder play a record-breaking role in the Blues' 8-0 thrashing of Aston Villa.

Lampard marked his 500th Premier League start with a sweetly-struck, second-half shot - the fourth goal conceded by Villa on the day and one that made the 34-year-old Chelsea's all-time highest-scorer in the top division, eclipsing Bobby Tambling.

However as things stand Lampard will be a free agent at the end of the season and Wilkins says it's high time that Chelsea handed the former England captain an extension.

"It was never easy for Frank, coming to Chelsea from West Ham - one of Chelsea's rivals in London - but he's had an absolutely magnificent career here and if the hierarchy are watching, then they should be signing him up right now because he's still got a good two or three years left at the top level as far as I'm concerned," said former Blues assistant coach Wilkins.

"The technique he showed on his goal was absolutely exquisite and how many goals has he scored now for Chelsea? An unbelievable amount - he churns them out year after year. They should be signing him as we speak."

Former Aston Villa and Manchester United striker Yorke concurred, adding: "You've just got to look at United and the likes of Ryan Giggs and Paul Scholes. They epitomise Manchester United and certainly Lampard epitomises Chelsea Football Club. He and John Terry are the leaders in the group - they have won everything with this football club.

"At 34 people tend to write you off a little too quick and I think that Lampard has got a lot still to offer - I don't see any reason why they shouldn't offer him an extension on his contract."

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Source: SkySports