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Leeds United star reveals Frank Lampard text after Bielsa’s side finally righted a wrong

Frank Lampard Chelsea

Leeds star Jack Harrison has lifted the lid on the text message he received from Frank Lampard when United finally secured promotion to the Premier League last year.

The Whites are now in their second season in the Premier League, and their fourth under the leadership of Marcelo Bielsa. That first season will live long in the memory for Leeds fans as ‘Bielsa-ball’ swept the Championship and took Leeds to dizzying new heights.

Their promotion dream that season ultimately faded away. A costly defeat to Wigan on Good Friday effectively ended their hopes of automatic promotion. And they also missed out in the play-offs, after letting a 2-0 aggregate lead slip against Derby County.

That night at Elland Road remains one of the worst for Leeds in recent memory. Two goals from Jack Marriott, either side of goals from Harry Wilson and Mason Mount, were painful enough.

But the sight of then-Rams boss Lampard singing and dancing around the pitch, to his own version of ‘Stop Crying Frank Lampard’ was especially gut-wrenching.

Leeds did put things right the very next season. The meticulous Bielsa saw the job through in his second season as Leeds won the Championship title by 10 points.

And as fate would have it, Leeds were able to celebrate promotion during a match at Pride Park on 19 July.

That 3-1 win was particularly impressive given the heavy celebrating Leeds had done over the 48hrs before.

And with a big party going off at Elland Road, Leeds players enjoyed the ‘Stop Crying Frank Lampard’ song once again.

Now Harrison has revealed that Lampard text him following those now famous scenes.

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The pair were teammates at New York City FC and Harrison revealed Lampard couldn’t resist a poke back.

“After we got promoted, we were at the stadium and everyone was celebrating outside the stadium and the fans started singing this song again,” Harrison told the Daily Mail.

“After everything had settled down, Frank texted me saying “congratulations, you’ve done really well but I saw you singing that song.

“I said: ‘No, I wasn’t singing, I promise!'”

Harrison reflects on NYCFC spell

Harrison also got to play alongside Andrea Pirlo and David Villa at NYYFC – and he has fond memories of his time in the Big Apple.

“I was lucky because I got to see how Frank Lampard and all these top guys conducted themselves, not only on the pitch but off it too,” Harrison said.

“That was something really inspiring to me. It was more than just football, it was the diet, the physiotherapy afterwards, just looking after your body.

“Just everything that comes with being a professional, I think Frank Lampard was probably the best at this and I really tried to implement a lot of what he does into my own career as well.

“With Frank, it’s his work ethic and his technique being able to finish the ball, everything that he did off the pitch as well was something I admired.”

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