Alious
Frank Lampard is eagerly anticipating working with Ellis Simms, a 23-year-old centre-forward from Coventry City whom he knows well from their shared history at Everton. During Lampard’s first match as Sky Blues head coach, he introduced Simms as a substitute against Cardiff, and the young striker played a crucial role in earning a late penalty that helped the team salvage a point.
Their connection goes back to Simms’ youth development at Everton, where he had been in the academy since the age of 16. Although Lampard wasn’t directly managing Simms during his initial stint as Everton’s manager due to Simms being out on loan at Hearts, he did evaluate the player during their first pre-season together. Subsequently, Simms was loaned to Sunderland, where he impressed by scoring seven goals in 17 league matches.
Lampard briefly recalled Simms to Everton in January 2023, giving him two late substitute appearances before being sacked. His successor, Sean Dyche, continued to integrate Simms into the first team, including a memorable 89th-minute equalizer against Chelsea.
Coventry signed Simms in the summer of 2023, and while his goal-scoring started slowly, he eventually netted 19 goals for the season, matching Haji Wright’s tally. This season has been more challenging, with Simms scoring just three goals so far.
Lampard spoke candidly about Simms, describing him as a quiet but effective player with real potential as a number nine. He emphasized the importance of competition and development, noting that Simms needs to continue working hard and seizing opportunities to make an impact.
The manager is looking forward to helping Simms and other forward players improve their performance, stressing the need to convert expected goals (XG) into actual goals in the competitive Championship league.
Alious
