Juan Mata has hailed his Chelsea teammate Frank Lampard for the performances that he has produced over the years.

The England international's future at Stamford Bridge is currently unclear. His contract is due to expire in the summer and talks over an extension are believed to have stalled.

However, having seen the supporters call for the club to keep hold of Lampard, Mata has admitted that he can fully "understand" their desire.

"I understand why the fans want [Frank] here, the supporters love him," he told the club's official website. "He is a great guy, a great captain who is a legend, and still playing, so for me and the teammates it is an honour to play with him.

"He scored already 13 or 14 goals this season, and for 10 years he has been scoring more than 10 in the Premier League. He is one of the best."

Mata and Lampard both found the net as Chelsea recorded a 4-0 win over Brentford in the FA Cup yesterday afternoon.