CHELSEA MIDFIELDER Frank Lampard says he is still waiting for contract talks to begin as he enters the final year of his current deal.
The 34-year-old has admitted he is not sure where his future lies but has expressed his desire to remain with the Blues for the rest of his playing days.
Lampard says he was told discussions would kick-off when he returned for the 2012/13 campaign but acknowledged that he was still waiting for the club to make their move.
“We spoke once last season and it was a case of coming back — and it hasn’t come back from their end,” Lampard told reporters. “I don’t know (what will happen). ”At the minute I’m just playing. I’d like to sit down and speak with them. But at the minute I’m playing and it’s up to the club to do that.
“I would like to end my career there. I feel I can play at the top level for a good few more years, but it’s whether the club feels the same.”
Chelsea are in the process of rebuilding their squad, with young stars Eden Hazard, Oscar and Marko Marin brought in during the pre-season. At 34, Lampard is one of the survivors of the club’s previous English Premier League-winning team and believes he can still play at the top level.
“I know there are a lot of changes at Chelsea,” Lampard said. “I’d love to be involved, and the youth coming into the squad this year has really freshened up our team. I’d love to carry on but it’s a club decision to come and sit down with me. They used to sit down with me three years before the end of my contract. Now I’m waiting. People do look at you differently when you get the other side of 30. That’s natural. I don’t mind that at all.
“I want to keep myself as fit as possible, to live right, and keep my edge so I know I can keep competing at the top. That’s what drives me on. If I don’t feel I can do it, I wouldn’t be happy playing football anyway.”
