‘I couldn’t say no to Frank Lampard – he was calling two or three times a day to sign me’

Amadou Onana has showered Frank Lampard with praise for giving him the opportunity to play in the Premier League by signing him for Everton from Lille during the 2022 summer transfer window

Amadou Onana has said that Frank Lampard was calling him “two, three times a day” before he signed him for Everton. The 23-year-old, who carved out a reputation at clubs like TSG Hoffenheim II, Hamburger SV and Lille, caught Lampard’s eye during the 2022 summer transfer window, leading to a successful transfer to Goodison Park for £33million in a five-year deal.

And Onana has now shared that Lampard’s relentless pursuit played a significant role in convincing him to join Everton, along with the former midfielder’s illustrious status as one of England’s footballing legends. Speaking on The Inside Scoop, Onana said: “So back in Senegal there are two big leagues [in] my time, when I was a kid, that people would watch on tele.

“Premier League or maybe La Liga. And if you say Premier League, you can’t say Premier League without Frank Lampard. And shout out to him, he was calling me like every day.

“But when I say every day, it’s like every day like two, three times a day, do you know what I mean? And back to little Ama, I’m thinking, ‘Rah, Frank Lampard calling my phone. This is crazy.’

“And obviously it’s hard to say no, bro. It’s hard to say no – especially because the player he’s been, you just can’t say no. As a midfielder as well, I knew that I could learn a lot under him. He could bring me to the next level like they say. So yeah, I had to give in.