He never hid – Lampard hails Jorginho response

Chelsea head coach Frank Lampard praised Jorginho for never hiding despite receiving criticism during his first season at Stamford Bridge.

Jorginho joined Chelsea for a reported £50million from Napoli last year, following Maurizio Sarri to the Premier League club.

While the Italy international faced criticism in his first campaign, he is beginning to win over Chelsea fans, who sang his name during a 3-2 win over Norwich City last week.

Lampard lauded the 27-year-old for continuing to step up for Chelsea despite criticism.

"From watching Chelsea closely last year, I thought he finished the season brilliantly," he told UK newspapers, via The Guardian.

"If you're going through a tough time with the fans, it is really easy to hide, but he never hid from receiving the ball on the edge of his own box or a tight area.

"That's a sign of character – you need to believe in yourself, stand up and play. That's what he does. When Jorginho goes on the pitch he wants to win and contribute."

Jorginho has started in each of Chelsea's three Premier League games this season, helping Lampard's men claim four points.

Lampard, whose side host Sheffield United on Saturday, said the Brazil-born midfielder was also showing plenty of leadership at the club.

"He's been a pleasure to work with. Fans are generally pretty honest. What they're seeing is a player – I don't want to talk about last year – who has a drive and determination as a team player. He also has quality. He can change a game, lead a game, own a game from midfield areas," he said.

"I see day to day what playing for this club means. He's just a fantastic sportsman who cares deeply. When you have a training session that might fall below standard, or drop even for a moment, he's the one who drives it up again.

"When the fans see that on the pitch, as they did at Norwich, that's why they sing his name. All I see now is a really good player who is a leader in the group."