Frank Lampard is well aware of Gustavo Hamer’s abilities, having experienced the player’s talent firsthand shortly after becoming Coventry City manager in the previous campaign.
The Sky Blues manager has this week seen strong speculation suggesting an interest in bringing the midfielder back to the CBS Arena, with reports indicating the club has conducted positive discussions about a reunion for the player they offloaded to Sheffield United for £15m in summer 2023.
Lampard expressed his views on the 29-year-old, who was extremely popular with supporters during his time at Coventry, when questioned about him before the visit to Bramall Lane in March last year (2025).
Hamer essentially controlled proceedings for United when the clubs faced each other in November 2024, contributing to both of the visitors’ goals as City fought back from two deficits to settle for a 2-2 stalemate at the CBS.
This occurred just before Lampard succeeded Mark Robins. Ahead of the reverse fixture in South Yorkshire several months later in March 2025, CoventryLive questioned the head coach about his knowledge of Hamer’s quality and whether he admires the dynamic midfielder, with Lampard disclosing he had certainly researched the Dutch-Brazilian thoroughly.
Lampard said he had been monitoring him all week, so he has a very clear picture of him. He noted he was aware of him previously and that he is excellent, an exceptionally high-calibre player. Regarding positioning, Lampard suggested it would be intriguing to see where he features, noting he usually roams from the left flank. Lampard added that regardless of positioning, he is a player who will trouble your midfield, among other aspects, and can deliver the crucial pass and finish very effectively. So his awareness of him was reasonable before, but excellent now.
Despite that knowledge and presumably extensive tactical work on the training ground, the Sky Blues failed to stop Hamer and his colleagues who were in excellent form at that time. Hamer broke the deadlock with a superb free-kick in the 19th minute before Tyrese Campbell extended the advantage on the half-hour mark and Ryan Brewster made it three goals just past the hour mark.
Jack Rudoni managed a late consolation in added time to complete the 3-1 scoreline as United delivered one of their finest performances of the campaign, dominating City at Bramall Lane to reclaim top spot in the Championship.
United, as you may remember, ultimately finished third and were defeated by Sunderland in the play-off final after the Black Cats had overcome Coventry in the semi-final.
Notably, Lampard’s side completed a league double over United the previous season, defeating them 3-1 at the CBS Arena in the previous November when Hamer, notably, was absent through injury. They then claimed all three points with a 2-1 victory at Bramall Lane in February when Hamer set up Harrison Burrows to open the scoring for the home side.
Hamer, who retains strong feelings for City and has visited the CBS to watch matches on multiple occasions since his departure, struck 17 league goals for Coventry across 123 Championship outings. Since joining United he has managed 18 league goals, including four in the Premier League, across 114 appearances.