London, Oct 28 (IANS): Chelsea's former star midfielder Frank Lampard has defended head coach Jose Mourinho, grilled in recent weeks for the poor results of the English football club, and insists the Portuguese "is a winner".

Lampard, currently at New York City, spoke on Tuesday after being given the Order of the British Empire, or OBE, by the Duke of Cambridge, Prince William, reports Efe.

"He's a winner. His record says that and it will be hurting him," Lampard, who played thirteen seasons at Chelsea, said.

"But I have no doubt about his ability and it will get him through," the 37-year-old said.

The English Premier League (EPL) champions have lost five of their first 10 league games and stand at 15th place, eleven points behind leader Manchester City.

"Chelsea will be back. It's a blip. You don't expect them to lose that many games at the start of the season, but they'll turn it around," maintained Lampard, who played 106 games for England before his retiring at the conclusion of the 2014 FIFA World Cup.