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Abdoulaye Doucoure says why working with Frank Lampard at Everton was definitely his ‘worst experience’ 

Srinivas Sadhanand

Tue 11 February 2025 8:15, UK

Since joining Everton in 2020, Abdoulaye Doucoure has been one of their most important players.

Doucoure has made 154 appearances for the Toffees since then and impressed in the middle of the park.

However, when Frank Lampard managed Everton, the Malian midfielder underwent a rocky period in his career.

Initially, Abdoulaye Doucoure was a regular starter under Lampard during the 2021/2022 season when the Merseyside-based club managed to survive in the Premier League — starting 12 out of 14 games.

Doucoure’s imposing stature, powerful carrying of the ball and dominance in duels seem traits that Frank Lampard was a fan of. But surprisingly, the former Watford dynamo lost his place in the side during the following season.

Abdoulaye Doucoure admits he didn’t enjoy Frank Lampard spell at Everton

Doucoure started a mere 17 league games for Everton in the 2022/2023 campaign as he was suddenly no longer in Frank Lampard’s good books.

The 32-year-old admitted that while initially he enjoyed working with Lampard, he became a bit-part player out of nowhere soon after.

Doucoure told The Overlap’s ‘The Breakdown’ show: “When Frank Lampard came, he came into the season, I think, the relationship between me and him was great. I played six months under him, I was starting every game. We get safe two games before the end of the season, the relationship was very good.”

“I just didn’t understand the next season what happened really because he didn’t really trust me, just the season after and I don’t really understand because this was my worst experience with a manager, to be honest because every manager just started me, every manager trusted me.”

Doucoure felt Lampard made a mistake by dropping him as he was an experienced player with a top-class attitude and work ethic.

“Even if I was sometimes not starting every game, I was a main player for each manager I played under and Frank Lampard was the only one who didn’t trust me a lot and I think he made a mistake with me, to be honest because I’m a very hardworking guy, I’m a humble person, I work hard in training, obviously, we can make choices, I never contest the choice a manager makes. But it is important to be fair and he wasn’t fair with me because leaving me on the bench for so many games and not really giving me my chance, that’s what upset me with him.”

Abdoulaye Doucoure exposes Frank Lampard’s lack of communication at Everton

Doucoure added that Frank Lampard never informed him why he no longer fancied his game as well.

“There was no communication between me and him, I never go to see him, to ask him any kind of, ‘Why I’m not playing’, why this, why that, I was just speaking like, I’m a Premier League player for almost eight years, I think I proved myself in this league, I was just working hard in training, obviously, the result wasn’t very good and I was just waiting for my chance and he didn’t trust me and I think he made a mistake.”

“And I proved him wrong after that because when the new manager Sean Dyche came, I was the difference-maker in the Everton team. I think for him obviously, he was a great player, a fantastic player, everyone knows that but as manager of Everton, it was a big lesson for him and I think he learned from that.”

Ultimately, Frank Lampard was under heaps of pressure at Goodison Park and at the time, he might have made some rookie managerial mistakes. Doucoure will now be focused on the future and helping Everton climb up the league table.

Position	Team	Played MP	Won W	Drawn D	Lost L	For GF	Against GA	Diff GD	Points Pts
16	EvertonEverton	23	6	8	9	23	28	-5	26