Frank Lampard on Tatsuhiro Sakamoto stepping up and striving for Premier League football

Coventry City news from CoventryLive as Frank Lampard hails winger's professionalism

Coventry City boss Frank Lampard congratulates Tatsuhiro Sakamoto

Coventry City boss Frank Lampard has been pleased with the way Tatsuhiro Sakamoto has stepped up to the Premier League

Fan favourite Tatsuhiro Sakamoto is the latest of Coventry City’s Championship promotion heroes to get his chance to prove himself on the Premier League stage.

Although having to be patient in the first six games when he was limited to 31 and 29 minutes from the bench against Hull and Newcastle, back-to-back starts against Tottenham and Fulham have enabled the popular Japanese winger to put down a bit of a marker at a time when summer signing Loum Tchaouna has found himself out of favour – the former Burnley forward excluded from the last three matchday squads completely.

Asked how he feels Sakamoto has stepped up to the level, Lampard said: “Yeah, good. I’ve been happy with him. I was happy with him coming on against Newcastle and thought he affected the game really positively.

“I thought he did well against Tottenham in all senses of his game; his work ethic as usual. And I thought last week against Fulham, I spoke about us being pretty more passive than usual but he wasn’t. He was Tats and he was very active and on and off the ball, and very energetic in his way.

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“And he gives that, he brings his qualities so it’s good for him because he’s just turned 30 the other day and he’s been working all his career to be able to play at this level of football. And his professionalism every day is first class, as I always say, so I’m pleased with him.”