Frank Lampard has led Coventry City back into the Premier League after Friday’s 1-1 draw at Blackburn Rovers. The Sky Blues will be playing top-flight football for the first time since 2001 after a dominant campaign in the Championship.

Lampard has transformed Coventry since taking over at the CBS Arena in November 2024 when they sat 17th in English football’s second-tier. The former Chelsea and England midfielder arrived at a side who were just two points clear of the relegation zone when he succeeded the long-serving Mark Robins. It is Lampard’s fifth role in management, following spells at Derby County, Everton and two stints with Chelsea.

He went on to guide Coventry to fifth in his first season before losing to Sunderland in the Championship playoff semi-finals. The 47-year-old will likely regard automatic promotion this season as the greatest achievement of his managerial career so far.

The Sky Blues currently have 86 points and are also on course to claim the Championship title as well. Lampard’s side sit 11 points clear of second-placed Ipswich Town with just Kieran McKenna’s side having five games left to play

Among those to send their congratulations in anticipation of their promotion were Stoke City boss Robins, who spent nearly eight years in charge at Coventry before being succeeded by Lampard.

He said: “They’re going up. I’m really pleased for them. Frank has done a fantastic job. He took over from me in difficult circumstances and he’s taken it to a different level. They will go up and they’ve got the stadium now and it looks certainly a lot more stable. Not only that, they’ve got a really good team, a top manager and they’ve done fantastically well.

“The owner has been incredible there, to be fair, and what he’s done for the club, the city and what plans they have when they eventually get up, I’m sure they’ll spend money and try to stay in there. It won’t for him and certainly for the club and certainly for Frank be anything like going up and just staying in there for one season, they’ll try to stay in there for good.

“It’s taken quarter of a century to get back and that’s come from a long way down the pyramid – a similar story, in some ways, to the Wrexham story – so it’s been a long time coming. Good luck to them. I hope they enjoy their promotion and hopefully we can emulate them in the next couple of years.”

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Alex Manninger spoke candidly about his career in a poignant final interview just days before his tragic death. Manninger, 48, died on Thursday after reportedly being involved in a collision between his car and a train on the Salzburg local railway. According to local police, the incident occurred at an unguarded level crossing.

Local media outlet Salzburg ORF reported that Manninger’s vehicle was struck while crossing near Nussdorf am Haunsberg. It is understood that emergency responders attended to him at the scene, but sadly, he could not be saved.

Earlier this month, Manninger gave an in-depth interview with Gazzetta Dello Sport about his career: “It still excites me just thinking about it. I was 20 years old, I was a kid.

“Wenger wanted to bring an international dimension to the club and focus on youngsters, I was one of them. Despite my age, I felt calm in goal. I had a monster like Tony Adams in front of me. He taught me a lot.

“I only have one regret: Leaving too soon. But you know, I wanted to play.”

He represented the Gunners for four seasons, becoming the first Austrian ever to play for Arsenal. He would later return to English football with Liverpool, where he brought the curtain down on his playing career as back-up goalkeeper to first-choice Simon Mignolet.

He said: “It all started with a phone call. Jurgen knew everything about me. I’d beaten his Dortmund side with Augsburg two years earlier.

“[He said] ‘I want that goalkeeper there. That day you saved everything against us. You have to do it for me, too’.

“I never actually played, I was 40, but leaving football and saying goodbye to the fans in front of the Kop was an amazing feeling.”

Following news of his passing, Liverpool paid a heartfelt tribute: “Liverpool FC is deeply saddened by the passing of former goalkeeper Alex Manninger at the age of 48.

“The Austrian arrived at Anfield in July 2016 to spend the final season of his lengthy playing career as a Red.

“Brought in as an experienced back-up goalkeeper, he featured in two friendly fixtures and was named in the matchday squad on four occasions during that campaign.

“Manninger represented a host of clubs in Europe across two decades – including hometown side Red Bull Salzburg, Arsenal, Fiorentina, Juventus and FC Augsburg.”