Frank Lampard has the makings of a future England manager, according to former Chelsea teammate Branislav Ivanovic, following the former's sterling start to his coaching career.
The former Blues midfielder took the reins of his old club following a debut stint at Derby County last year, succeeding Maurizio Sarri in the hot seat at Stamford Bridge.
In his first season at the helm, Lampard took his side to a top-four finish and an FA Cup final appearance, helping to reaffirm Chelsea's status as a perennial contender on the top domestic stages.
The 42-year-old has continued to bolster his credentials this term, with an impressive unbeaten run in the Champions League group stages just the icing of a campaign so far that has seen his team challenge at the top of the Premier League once more.
Such form has seen the former England mainstay emerge as one of the brightest managerial talents in the English game and Ivanovic - who has returned to the top flight from a spell in Russia with West Brom this season - believes that he could be a credible successor to Gareth Southgate for the Three Lions job when the time comes.
"When Frank decided to become a manager, everyone who knows him knew he was going to be a success," the 36-year-old was quoted by the Daily Mail.
"He is the right person in the right place, not just for Chelsea. I hope he will stay at Chelsea for life, but for sure he could give to his country and be manager of the England national team.
"He knows football and has great ideas. I watch his interviews and you can see he understands the game, the things he needs to do and how to give belief to the group.
"It's a massive job to understand football and to make the team play and work like you want. He has a good group of people around him to help him. He will be a success.
"He fully deserved to be Chelsea manager, not just because of his name. Of course I wish him all the best and for me he will always have a huge part [to play]."