Frank Lampard has watched nearly a third of the 2016 Major League Soccer season pass by without him playing a single minute, but that won't stop him from moonlighting to help complement the $6 million he is due to make from New York City FC this year.
BBC announced on Monday that Lampard will be part of the English network's coverage of the European Championships. Lampard joins a group of analysts including Thierry Henry, Rio Ferdinand and even U.S. national team coach Jurgen Klinsmann.
Lampard's duties for BBC have yet to be finalized, and NYCFC sources have confirmed to Goal USA that he won't actually travel to France for Euro 2016. Despite the fact his Euros coverage will be handled remotely from New York, Lampard's television contributions are still sure to irritate an NYCFC fan base that has yet to see him play this year.
Lampard isn't the first MLS player to take part in media coverage overseas —Thierry Henry did it in 2014 while still with the Red Bulls, and Steven Gerrard did it last year — but neither of those cases involved a situation like the one Lampard is in.
The former Chelsea star joined NYCFC a year ago amid controversy, after his arrival was delayed by half a season while he spent time with Manchester City. Lampard's MLS debut was delayed even further when he picked up an injury shortly after joining the team, which eventually limited him to just 10 appearances in NYCFC's inaugural season.
Lampard has still only made 10 appearances for his current team, and given his $6 million-per-year salary, he is looking more and more like one of the worst signings in MLS history. That perception only makes news of Lampard's foray into television work look even worse, and it will only continue to grow with each game he misses.
Working in Lampard's favor as he battles injuries is the fact that NYCFC is enjoying a turnaround, with Sunday's 2-0 win against D.C. United being the team's second victory in a row. Patrick Vieira's team is now suddenly in fourth place in the Eastern Conference, just two points behind first-place Montreal.
NYCFC has managed modest success this season on the strength of excellent play from Spanish star David Villa, but also production from lesser-known contributors such as Tommy McNamara and Khiry Shelton, who have helped pick up the slack for the missing Lampard.
Just when the 37-year-old Lampard will play for NYCFC continues to be a mystery because Vieira refuses to put a timetable on his return. As things stand, Lampard has turned his high-paying gig with NYCFC into the biggest no-show job the New York City area has seen since "The Sopranos."
- Goal