DERBY LOAN KID WHO’S KNOCKING ON THE DOOR
IT Turns out ‘ the super young player’ that Gareth southgate referred to earlier this summer also knows how to fight. Mason Mount was having a sparkling under 21 debut on Tuesday night with an assist and a goal against Latvia. But in the tense final moments, as England protected a 2-1 lead, the Chelsea midfielder’s desire to sprint 30 yards and make a tackle resonated just as much as the way he had glided over a horrible pitch.
That display in Jelgava had FA technical director Dan Ashworth nodding in approval.
There is something different about this 19-year-old, whose start to a season-long loan at Derby County under the tutelage of Chelsea legend Frank Lampard has been full of promise. His technical gifts mean he has long been on southgate’s radar as a potential star of the future, but there is more to his game than tricks and flicks.
Mount grew up in Portsmouth and learned to play under the watchful eye of his father Tony. The words his dad imparted when managing a local youth team called united services left Mason under no illusion that dreams only come true in one way — with hard work. ‘I have got to do that other side of the game,’ said Mount. ‘Dad always said to me, “You have got to do the dirty work”.
‘He told me you can’t just be good on the ball. You have to track back, you have to make tackles and get stuck in. I always want to introduce that into what I am doing now. I don’t just want to be an attacking player who gets into the box and scores goals. I’ve got to do it all.’
The key is he wants to do it all. After a terrific year on loan at Vitesse Arnhem in Holland, when he scored 14 goals and provided nine assists, Chelsea wanted the next phase of his development to come in an arena that is physically demanding and intense.
so far he has stood up to everything the Championship has thrown at him, appearing in all bar 15 minutes of Derby’s eight league and cup games.
He is living with another promising loanee, Liverpool’s Harry Wilson, and Derby picked their house as it was equipped with a gym. ‘Me and H are going to be in there quite a lot!’ says Mount, who spent his first week with the under 21s rooming with Fulham’s ryan sessegnon. ‘I’m working with Chris Jones, our fitness coach who came from Chelsea. I know I have a lot more physical development to do.
‘It will happen naturally. I do find it hard to put weight on and get big. I have always been slight. It’s why Dad would say to me, “You have got to get stuck in. Just because you are small you have got to show you will not get knocked around easy”. He drummed it into me.’
Tony also drummed in the need to keep looking ahead, although Mason smiled as he watched a replay of his goal against Latvia and he plans to keep his shirt to commemorate a big day in his career.
‘I have got to get my mind back on Derby now,’ said Mount, who has a trip to rotherham this saturday. ‘I suppose the manager (Lampard) will congratulate me when he sees me but I’m also sure he will say there is no point looking back. It’s been a good week but you have to look forward.’
You can be sure, with that kind of attitude, there will be many more big days in the future.