Chelsea legend emerges as 'contender' to take charge of Leeds United and Sheffield Wednesday's rivals

The Clarets will return to the second tier for the 2024/25 campaign, having suffered relegation from the Premier League. Despite their failure to retain top flight status, the club’s manager Vincent Kompany has been headhunted by Bayern Munich.

Burnley, therefore, are on the hunt for a new figure capable of leading them back to the highest level of English football. According to The Athletic, Lampard is a contender to fill the vacancy.

He would be another high-profile appointment, but has encountered difficulties in his managerial career since leaving Derby County in 2019. A dream move to his former club Chelsea did not prove successful, nor did a stint in charge of Everton.

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He briefly returned to Stamford Bridge for a spell as interim boss but has now been out of work since the end of the 2022/23 season. The report claims Lampard is of interest to Burnley, while Kompany’s former assistant Craig Bellamy acts as a temporary manager.

In a statement, Burnley said: “Following the departure of Vincent Kompany, we are actively working on our search for a permanent manager. In the meantime, the club has placed Craig Bellamy, assisted by Mike Jackson, in the roles of acting head coach and assistant head coach.

“We have complete faith in Craig and Mike and believe their extensive experience and deep understanding of the club make them the perfect candidates to lead the team at this important time. We will provide further updates regarding a permanent manager in due course.”