Frank Lampard: 'Joining Manchester City on loan is fantastic opportunity'

Frank Lampard has described his loan switch to Manchester City as a "fantastic opportunity" ahead of his move to MLS side New York City.

The 36-year-old was unveiled over the weekend as New York's fresh acquisition, but before joining up with the American side, the former Chelsea star will spend six months with the Premier League champions.

Lampard told City's official website: "Joining up with Manchester City is a fantastic opportunity for me to continue to train and play at the top level and make sure I am in top condition for New York City.

"It has been an amazing few days for me since the unveiling in Brooklyn and everyone connected with both clubs has been fantastic to me. This is a new chapter of my career and I'm really excited about the experience.

"I met Manuel and some of the players in New York and I'm looking forward to getting into training and making a contribution for Manchester City ahead of my move over to New York."

City manager Manuel Pellegrini added: "Frank is a world-class midfielder and this is an opportunity which works perfectly for everyone - the player, Manchester City, and New York City.

"I'm looking forward to working with him and integrating him into our squad. New York have made a fantastic signing by recruiting Frank, and I'm really pleased that we'll be able to have him with us for the first half of our season and help prepare him for his new challenge."

Lampard will wear shirt number 18.