Coventry City manager, Frank Lampard, has been named Championship Manager of the Season after leading the club to promotion to the Premier League.
Coventry sealed promotion following a 1-1 draw with Blackburn Rovers on Friday, with Bobby Thomas scoring an 85th-minute goal to secure the crucial point.
The result confirmed Coventry’s return to the top flight for the first time since the 2000/01 season.
Lampard’s side sit 10 points clear at the top of the Championship with five games remaining, capping a strong campaign that earned him the top managerial award.
Reacting after receiving the award, Lampard said: “I was emotional the other night because it dawned on me in that moment what we had achieved.
“A club that I walked into 16 months ago that had gone to the depths and back up, and football is always about people and always about supporters and I’d missed it.
Lampard also credited key figures behind the club’s progress.
He said: “You have to credit Mark Robins for what he did at the Club, the owner Doug King and appreciate the moment, and I’m working with a great group of players.”
He praised the team’s unity and attitude.
He said: “When you walk into a group forget the football talent, that’s obviously important, but when they look after themselves, they train well, they support each other, they have a laugh, that’s the gold.”
Reflecting on the journey, he said: “It’s an incredible story and I’m please to be a part of it.”
Lampard has received praise for guiding Coventry through a strong campaign.
Coventry’s promotion marks a major milestone for the club, ending a long absence from the Premier League and completing a turnaround under Super Frankie’s leadership.
