Lampard named Barclays Player of the Month

Frank Lampard finished October on a high note by being named the Barclays Player of the Month.

The award comes exactly three years after his last triumph.

After providing Joe Cole with the pass for the opener in the Blues' 2-0 win over an in-form Aston Villa, Lampard himself was on the scoresheet in the next match, finishing a sweeping move with a diving header to score Chelsea's fourth goal in a convincing 5-0 win away at Middlesbrough.

The England midfielder then helped Chelsea bounce back from their home defeat to Liverpool with a 3-0 victory over high-flying Hull City at the KC Stadium. Lampard's finish to open the scoring has been widely tipped as a goal of the season contender, his first-time left-foot chip from the corner of the Hull penalty box finding the net leaving goalkeeper Boaz Myhill stranded.

Three awards

Lampard is the second Chelsea player to win the Barclays Player of the Month award this season after Deco won August's prize. Lampard's three awards put him one behind the record for most monthly player accolades jointly held by six players, including England colleagues Steven Gerrard and Wayne Rooney.

The decision was made by the Barclays Awards Panel, which includes representatives from football's governing bodies, the media and fans.

Fact File

Lampard was born on 20th June 1978 in Romford, London.

In 2001 Lampard left West Ham United, where he rose through the youth ranks to the first team, to join Chelsea for a fee of £11m.

With Chelsea, Lampard has won the Barclays Premier League twice, as well as the FA Cup in 2007 and the League Cup in both 2005 and 2007.

This is Lampard's third Barclays Player of the Month Award, having previously picked up the prize in September 2003 and October 2005.

Last year Lampard made 24 league appearances, scoring ten goals. This season, up to 31st October 2008, he started all ten league matches, tallying four goals.