Lampard dedicates FA Cup win to Hiddink

LONDON - For Frank Lampard, the FA Cup was the best parting gift Chelsea players could have given to their interim manager Guus Hiddink as a memento of his short but successful stint at the club.

Hiddink took over from Luiz Felipe Scolari at a time when the club was in troubled waters and then guided them to the third position in the Premiership and the FA Cup title. Hiddink will now be go back to Russia and coach the national team full-time.

“He’s a great manager and a great man,” Lampard was quoted as saying by The Guardian.

Lampard scored the winning goal in 2-1 win over Everton after Didier Drogba’s header cancelled out Louis Saha’s opener, which was the fastest goal in FA Cup final history.

“It’s a great send-off for him and we’re delighted to give him a trophy,” said Lampard. “It was amazing. After we went 1-0 down we dominated the game. I always felt we could win it and I’m pleased to get the goal that won it.”

Drogba hailed the battling qualities the Blues showed to come back from 1-0 down after Saha scored the fastest goal in FA Cup final history.

“It’s fantastic, I’m delighted,” Drogba said. “I’m really happy to finish the season this way. It was a difficult start but you have to say it was a very good goal. But our strength is to believe in ourselves and our qualities and we played with more confidence. That’s why we won today.”

“I think the discipline between us was always good. You don’t win six or seven trophies in five years if you don’t have discipline in friendship. But the manger has given us an extra bit. We know his qualities.”