Frank Lampard has a habit of turning into a virtual recluse after gut-wrenching break-ups.  

The 44-year-old player-turned-coach stayed out of the limelight after being ruthlessly sacked by Chelsea's former owner and empire-builder Roman Abramovich in 2021. He had again extricated himself from the public eye since his excruciating dismissal by Everton in January. 

No wonder eyebrows were raised on Tuesday when Lampard made a rare public appearance at Stamford Bridge where he watched his old team's dreadful draw with Liverpool alongside Chelsea's sporting directors Paul Winstanley and Laurence Stewart.

Then came the shocking news that Lampard has completed a sensational return to Chelsea as caretaker manager. The club announced on Thursday that their all-time record goalscorer will take charge for the rest of this season while they carry out an "exhaustive process" to find a permanent successor to Graham Potter, who was fired earlier this week. 

On the surface the move seems like an act of desperation. Lampard's reputation has been in tatters since he was shown the door at Everton, where he struggled to motivate the squad and helplessly watched them slide towards the bottom of the Premier League. His first stint at Chelsea also ended in disarray after his inability to foster a tactically coherent side and his annoying tendency to criticize his own players in press conferences. 

But on deeper reflection, it might be a shrewd decision to bring back Lampard at the moment. The Blues legend, who scored 211 goals in 648 games at Chelsea, knows the club inside out, and remains hugely popular with supporters despite his mediocre coaching career. Amid all the turmoil of the season, a sense of familiarity and stability is long overdue.

"We want to provide the club and our fans with a clear and stable plan for the remainder of the season," Chelsea co-owners Todd Boehly and Behdad Eghbali said in a statement. "We want to give ourselves every chance of success and Frank has all of the characteristics and qualities we need to drive us to the finish line." 

It's also worth noting that Lampard has the enviable knack of improving young players, with Mason Mount, Reece James and several other Chelsea starlets all making stunning progress under his watch. The London giants have signed multiple promising prospects during the last two transfer windows and Lampard will be rubbing his hands at the prospect of working with them. 

During his unveiling on Thursday, Lampard declared it was an "easy decision" to return. "This is my club," he said. "I have a lot of emotional feelings towards the club... I know there is a lot of talent in this squad. I am excited to work with that talent and help them. That's why I'm here."

Lampard knows only too well what is expected. Chelsea are currently 11th in the Premier League, 14 points behind fourth-placed Manchester United. With only nine games left in the English top flight, he will try his utmost to arrest the recent poor run of results under Potter, starting from taking on Wolves on Saturday. 

Lampard also has a shot to win the Champions League, with Chelsea set to face defending champions Real Madrid in the quarterfinals next week. Roberto di Matteo once famously led Chelsea to Champions League glory as a caretaker before getting the job on a permanent basis. 

Quizzed if he could follow a similar path, Lampard observed, "It won't be my decision so I don't want to jump forward to that... I understand I will get asked that question a lot. I have my eyes wide open.  

"The important thing for me is to park that and focus on the job in hand. I'm not getting ahead of myself. I want to do the best I can to impact the club in this period and we will see what happens afterwards." 

One way or another, we'll find out how Lampard's second coming as Chelsea boss pan out. And one thing is for sure, it will not be short on thrilling drama.