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At a time when the word 'legendary' has been abused even more than FIFA's World Cup bidding process, it is refreshing to see Frank Lampard rescue it from being devalued.
It seems that every player who has won a trophy qualifies for the term legendary these days and I fell foul of a few Chelsea head-hunters a few weeks ago by daring to suggest Ashley Cole's canonisation to that status would not stand the test of time.
Cole was a fabulous servant for the Blues, but will he be loved in the way Chopper Harris, Peter Osgood or Gianfranco Zola were?
Sure he defected from Arsenal and won a stack of trophies, and sure the Matthew Harding End defended him loyally against rivals' barbs. But I'm not convinced there was ever a real bond. Cole was too guarded an individual to evoke everlasting love as well as admiration.
But Lamps? There is a player who bonds with the fans and who will be remembered beyond the next two or three years, unlike other faux legends.
The numbers alone, awesome as they are, do not begin to tell the whole tale of a man - West Ham fans apart – admired way beyond the confines of Stamford Bridge. He transcended the antipathy opposing fans normally reserve for the best players of high-profile teams.
Ryan Giggs fell into the same category – or at least he did until the 'tearing apart' he was lauded for by fans at Old Trafford took on a new meaning after alleged his inter-family dalliances.
Blues fans identified with Lamps. A Londoner you could imagine being humble enough to share a pint with the common man – and not everyone falls into that category these days.
He was unfailingly polite when it came to dealing with the media too. Not that that should colour the judgement. But he was always going to be a personal favourite after granting me an exclusive interview after a game at his old club West Ham, when most Chelsea players made themselves off limits.
Fans shared the pain when he lost his mother Pat in 2008 – and shed tears at the poignancy of his look to the heavens, black armband in hand, after scoring a penalty in the Champions League semi-final against Liverpool in the days after she died.
Three league titles, four FA Cups, two League Cups. Champions League and Europa League wins. No average haul that. Especially when added to the 648 appearances and club record 211 goals from midfield. Some of those will be indelibly stamped in many memories The two at Bolton when the league was won. Even the one in Moscow that proved not quite enough against Man United.
The tireless box-to-box exponent was amazingly resilient in his 13 years at the club. Avoiding injury and providing a metronomic quality that Jose Mourinho so admires. A reliable family saloon rather than a flash one that breaks down too easily.
He featured in 164 consecutive league games between 2001-4.
At 35, he still seems far from washed up and a host of clubs are chasing the England midfielder as he prepares for World Cup duty in Brazil.
“It was a privilege to play with a true Chelsea legend,” said team-mate Petr Cech.
England colleague James Milner was equally effusive. “Every single season he delivered,” the Man City winger observed. “He's a top player. A top pro.”
Universally appreciated but nowhere more than at the Bridge. When it comes to legends, Super Frank is the real deal.
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