Terry demands long-term deal for Lampard

John Terry wants Chelsea to offer Frank Lampard a new contract, -saying he cannot contemplate seeing his long-term team-mate represent another Premier League club.

Speaking after he returned to the starting team for the 4-0 FA Cup -victory over Brentford, Terry also called on his team-mates to take the heat off manager Rafael Benitez by winning games, and said the squad was targeting Manchester City and second place in the league.

Chelsea supporters have protested against the club's position on Lampard since owner Roman Abramovich chose not to offer the midfielder a new contract when his current deal expires at the end of the season.

Lampard, 34, was informed the Russian's decision in December. The player has since embarked on a remarkable run of form, scoring 11 times in 18 games, including the third in Sunday's win, his 199th for the club.

Terry, who has played alongside the England midfielder for 12 years, says Lampard has several years ahead of him at the highest level. "He has got so much more to give," Terry said. "He is an inspiration to everyone at the club. Still, at his age, he is the best trainer by a million miles.

"For him to get that many goals, kids can look at that and think 'He is just in the right position', but it takes a lot of hard work before and after training, working on his strengths and his weaknesses."

Asked about Lampard's future, Terry said: "He has always been very fit naturally. We all hope that it is here, but if not he has got years ahead of him." Asked if he would find it hard to see Lampard at a rival club, Terry said: "I am not even going to entertain that. I don't even want to think about it!"

Terry's position has also been -subject to conjecture since he -suffered a knee injury in November that has restricted him to three starts this year. He insists his relationship with Benitez is sound, and called on the club's fans to focus on the team rather than the unpopular manager. "They pay their money so they are entitled to echo their thoughts. All we can do is concentrate on our jobs and that is winning games. If we do that, it completely takes that [pressure] away."

Terry said Chelsea were suffering from the scrutiny that has followed Roberto Di Matteo's dismissal, and called on the media to credit the team for good performances. "I never read about other clubs. We went away on Thursday night and won the game, another club lost their game. We come back and we are on the back page.

"It said we didn't play well, we didn't do well, there's rifts, it's just complete nonsense. The team spirit is brilliant. No matter what happens, we'll always be together.

"Let's concentrate on the positive side. We are in the hat for the next round of the FA Cup and when we do play well, we deserve to have credit and respect. When we get knocked out of competitions, we will take it on the chin like men.

"We've not had the best of seasons but we are still in the mix. If we can just improve our form 15-20 per cent, we will give Man City a run."