Frank Lampard has revealed that he would have stayed at Chelsea for another year had he been offered a contract extension by the Blues.
The long-serving midfielder saw a 13-year stint with the Stamford Bridge outfit come to an end this summer, with Jose Mourinho allowing him to leave as a free agent.
"I would have obviously stayed if Chelsea had offered me another year," Lampard is quoted as saying by Sky Sports News. "There was no reason for me to leave.
"Yes, I wanted to play a bit more regularly but I'm not stupid. If Chelsea had given me a new contract it would have been mad not to take it at the time.
"It wasn't that I didn't think I could still do it. If I felt like that I wouldn't have gone to City on loan. I had a chat with Jose Mourinho and both he and the club were always great with me. The decision was made, and I don't know who made it."
After his release, the 36-year-old agreed a move to the MLS with New York City, which included a short loan deal with Premier League champions Manchester City.