Lampard: I want to play in USA

Frank Lampard has revealed that he is interested in finishing his playing career in the USA.

Lampard has established himself as one of the finest midfielders in the business over the past few years and, at the age of 31, is not thinking about retirement just yet.

But he admits he is already preparing for the future and those plans do not include venturing into management.

"The first thing is after I finish I don't want to be involved with football, not as a manager, coach, agent or in the media. Not interested," Lampard told the Sabotage Times.

"I've been getting to know a lot about property, not just for me to live in, but as a business.

"I have a family to support. I know that might sound strange when you consider the money that's mentioned but I want to have a career after this, I don't want this to be everything.

"I don't want to spend the rest of my life just living in the past."

Lampard still has three years remaining on his Chelsea contract and speculation that he could soon leave the club has recently been dismissed by manager Carlo Ancelotti.

Jose Mourinho is a known admirer of Lampard and reports suggest he could try to take the England international to Real Madrid once his appointment at the Santiago Bernabeu is confirmed.

Transfer talk involving such massive clubs is nothing new for Lampard, who has previously been linked with a move overseas.

But Lampard has hinted that if he does ever secure a move abroad, it could be to follow in the footsteps of David Beckham and play in the MLS at the end of his career.

Asked about Beckham, Lampard said: "It's his decision, isn't it? When he went, I thought, maybe he's gone too early, but the more I thought about it, I thought, if that's what he wants to do, let him do it.

"I'd like to go and play in America when I'm 36 or 35 but you can't take away someone's right to go and play where they want."

Lampard also declared that he thought international football was of a higher standard than the UEFA Champions League.

Lampard claims that it has the edge over European club football's premier competition because it is difficult to do homework on some international players and there are no weak links.

He explained: "With the Champions League you'll know who you are playing against and they'll have their key players, everyone knows about them whereas when you play for England against someone from somewhere like Eastern Europe, Croatia, or somewhere like that, they're all good.

"And you discover that as the games going on, there's not a lot of weaknesses in the international teams so I'd say the standard is definitely higher."