Frank Lampard Hints at Retirement if Chelsea Don't Offer Him an Extension

Frank Lampard has admitted that he might consider hanging up his boots if Chelsea are unwilling to extend his contract in the coming weeks.

Although the Blues' manager Jose Mourinho claimed that the midfielder alongside his compatriots John Terry and Ashley Cole will remain at Stamford Bridge, only the centre-back was given an extension of one-year.

The England international was named among the list of players set to be released by the clubs during the summer. The 35-year-old will be without a club from 1 July whilst on international duty for his country at the World Cup in Brazil.

Lampard, who is Chelsea's all time top scorer with 209 goals, insisted that he would like to continue playing in the Premier League for a few more years but would not be disappointed if he retires once the Three Lions' World Cup campaign concludes.

"I don't know if I'll be at Chelsea next season. I'd like to carry on for two or three more years, but it would be good to end on a high. So, if that means it all ends tomorrow, I wouldn't have any regrets," Lampard explained.

"You know your shelf life, so I started to mentally prepare when I hit 30. I've been doing this for a long time, so there's a part of me that's looking forward to the future. I feel ready to handle it, because I've got other things, like the books," he concluded.

Lampard is said to have emerged as a target for the recently promoted west London outfit, Queens Park Rangers.

The Hoops' manager Harry Redknapp is also believed to be plotting a swoop for Rio Ferdinand from Manchester United.

Despite speculations, the former West Ham United and Tottenham Hotspur boss conceded that it would be very difficult to bring both the England veterans to Loftus Road during the summer.

"I would think there's absolutely no chance of getting Frank. He's at Chelsea. I'd be very surprised if Chelsea don't keep him anyway - he's just been such a fantastic player," Redknapp stressed.

"Rio's now a free agent but I'm sure he's going to have so many offers. Again, I love Rio, I signed them both as 15-year-olds [at West Ham] but the chances of getting them to QPR are very slim."