Mount will take England call-up in his stride

THERE was never any danger the giddy thrill of an england call-up would go to Mason Mount’s head. only 24 hours after derby manager Frank lampard told the youngster the news in the form of a prank — ‘i tried to pretend he was being dropped . . . he took it well’ — Mount had to be dragged off the training ground. Such is the 19-year-old’s dedication to honing his many talents, he was putting in some extra finishing practice when derby’s coaching staff reminded him he’d better save some energy for QPR. Yet, who knows, Mount’s natural ability to pick out the bottom corner from a pocket of space just outside the penalty box could serve england well if he makes his debut against croatia or Spain. gareth Southgate’s faith in england’s youth is laudable and there were certainly no dissenting voices to be heard here. ‘He deserves a call-up from his form with us,’ said lampard. ‘He has trained with england before and hopefully he won’t be daunted in any way. i applaud gareth for giving young players a chance.’ lampard recalled his own england call-up. ‘i remember being nervous, but Mason is different. He’s the kind of lad that takes all these things on his shoulders.’ QPR’s boss, Steve Mcclaren, the former england manager, said: ‘Mount is derby’s focal point, you saw some of his dribbles, he is dangerous. ‘This is the beauty of the england set-up. we saw that in the world cup and the young players benefit the england team.’ Mount’s derby team-mate Jack Marriott added: ‘i said to my fiancee after a month training with him that he will be in the england team before the end of the year. it is fully deserved. That is the way england are going. if you are good enough, you’re old enough.’ chelsea loanee Mount has been directly involved in 17 goals in his last 11 appearances while on loan at Vitesse arnhem and derby. This was a quieter afternoon but his header off the line in stoppage time ensured derby earned a point after Rangers midfielder geoff cameron had cancelled out Marriott’s opener.