Frank Lampard has urged Callum Hudson-Odoi to follow the example of Raheem Sterling and ally natural talent to a remorseless desire for self-improvement in order to reach the pinnacle of the game.

The Chelsea manager was in straight-talking mood before Saturdays home game against Brighton and he revealed his amazement at how Marcelo Bielsa and Leeds had won the 2019 Fifa fair play award. He fell out with Bielsa last season while he was at Derby and Bielsa admitted to spying on Lampards team in training and every other club in the Championship.

Lampards comments about Hudson-Odoi came in the context of a discussion about how much he enjoyed the man-management aspect of his job. He said some young players need cajoling, some definitely need some tough words at times and it sounded as though he felt Hudson-Odoi fitted into the latter category.

The 18-year-old winger made his comeback from a ruptured achilles on Wednesday in Chelseas 7-1 Carabao Cup win over Grimsby, scoring one of the goals late on, but Lampard was critical of him after the game. He said he wanted Hudson-Odoi to work hard in order to get in behind the Grimsby defence, to put himself into dangerous situations inside the box, but he had needed to reinforce that message pretty strongly at half-time because it had not got through.

I have to say it as I see it, Lampard said. I know Callums talent and he has got huge talent. Hence why the club were so keen to get him signed up [to his new contract]. Were all delighted with that. But theres a lot of work for Callum to do. Lots of work.

You can look around and look at fantastic examples and not even at this club.

I dont like to talk about other clubs players but Raheem Sterling is an incredible example of a player with great talent, whose work ethic added to that talent and improvement in a short period of time through absolute dedication, has seen him become a complete player, who we are all wowed by.

He is a great model for Callum because Callum has those talents. I want him to be the absolute best because he has the potential to do that and some of it is about hard truths and I saw some hard truths in the game the other day ways that he can improve. He needs to listen to them and he will. Then he can be that player for us.

Lampard said he thought Bielsas award was irony, at first. Bielsa was commended for ordering his team to let Aston Villa equalise at Elland Road in April, after Leeds had scored while a rival player was down injured.

I did smile, Lampard said. Who votes for it? Its strange and I think everyone had the same reaction. A lot of news was put to spygate and quite rightly so.

It got dealt with in the right way and so when you go and give an award for fair play in the same year, I dont think its right.

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Lampard urges Hudson-Odoi to learn from Sterling and queries Leeds award - The Guardian