He may not have bargained on people trying to peep through the bushes at his training sessions, but Frank Lampard knew very well that all eyes would be on him once he took his first step into management.

Lampard was aware his name would make a difference, that it would open doors but also invite greater scrutiny. He could have kept his “cosy” post-playing lifestyle of dividing his time between Chelsea’s Academy, punditry and King’s Road cafes.

But, halfway through his first season in charge of Derby County, former Chelsea midfielder Lampard does not regret stepping outside his comfort zone – even at the end of a week in which he has been caught in the middle of the Leeds United 'spying' storm.

There was less than a month between his old England team-mate Steven Gerrard taking the Rangers job and Lampard’s appointment at Derby, and there is no way of avoiding the spotlight for either man.

“We’re not stupid, myself and Steven know that the ante is upped because of the name,” said Lampard. “I do feel pressure, I felt it particularly early on when we won at Reading but lost [against] Leeds and Millwall, and already people were saying ‘how long’s it going to last.’ That’s harsh.