Frank Lampard has hailed Jorginho’s strength of character in refusing to “hide” amid criticism from a section of Chelsea supporters.

The 27-year-old became a target of fan frustration over Maurizio Sarri’s management, chiefly the Italian’s insistence on playing Jorginho as a central midfielder at the expense of N’Golo Kante, who was moved to a slightly wider berth in a 4-3-3 system.

However, that positional deployment has not changed under Lampard since the 41-year-old took charge in the summer and Jorginho found himself in the unexpected position of being serenaded by the travelling Chelsea fans during last weekend’s 3-2 win over Norwich at Carrow Road.

Lampard, who was himself initially subjected to abuse when moving for £11million from West Ham to Chelsea in 2001, said: “From watching Chelsea closely last year, I thought he finished the season brilliantly.

“If there was a tough time with the fans, what is really easy is to hide. The thing I noticed from the outside last year is that he never hid.

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"He never hid from receiving the ball on the edge of his own box or a tight area. He was always there to receive it. And he played really well during the run-in, I thought, for Chelsea.

“That's a sign of his own character and, again, that's what the fans will applaud and long may it continue. I love them singing every player's name because every player should be giving them reason to.

“I think as a top player, which I think he is, there are lots of moments where you have to deal with something where you feel it's unjust. In my career I had moments at West Ham a long time ago and internationally with England.

“When I talked about him not hiding from the ball, that is the key element: you need to believe in yourself, stand up and play. That's what he does.”

Asked specifically about the fans chanting Jorginho’s name, Lampard added: “I was delighted to hear that myself.

“I do think that with fans, they are generally pretty honest. What they're seeing is a player - I don't want to talk about last year - but what they are seeing now is a player who has a drive, has a determination as a team player. I'm certainly seeing that.

"He also has quality. He can change a game, lead a game, own a game from midfield areas. I'm delighted with that. I see day-to-day what playing for this club means.

“He's just a fantastic sportsman who cares deeply. When you have a training session that might fall below standard or drop for a moment, he's the one who drives it up again.

"When the fans see that on the pitch, as they did at Norwich, that's why they sing his name. I'm delighted with that.”