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Frank Lampard: I'm not here to prove, I'm here to win

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New York City FC midfielder Frank Lampard isn't happy with the reception he's received by supporters, having missed the first 12 matches of the season as he dealt with an ongoing calf injury sustained before the start of the 2016 campaign.

The England star took some time to address his haters, who have criticized him and his $6-million per year contract by pointing to the fact that he has played but 15 minutes all season.

"I don't want to rectify anything," Lampard said, according to Empire of Soccer. "I'm not here to prove, I'm here to win. I can't change injuries, I can't change circumstances. All I can do is try to help us win."

Try he certainly did as the Pigeons succumbed to a humiliating 7-0 thrashing at the hands of rival New York Red Bulls last week at Yankee Stadium, where the former Chelsea man made his 2016 season debut coming into the match for Andrea Pirlo.

At the time of his entrance into the match, Lampard received a round of boos from his own supporters and was left exasperated, since his absences were due to injuries rather than commitment issues.

"It's frustrating for me this year," Lampard said. "I take injuries very badly. I'm not fun to be around. I live for my football.

"The injury was diagnosed as a small injury and it wasn't. It was a bad calf injury. It's been hard. It's been a slow process getting fit. I'm starting to gain confidence. I had a good week of training last week but I wasn't ready to start a game at the weekend. I'm getting towards that. I've lost the nervousness of having the injury."

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