Rising to the top is not Mounting on the pressure for Mason

MASON MOUNT is taking it all in his stride after a whirlwind few weeks of shining for Chelsea in the Premier League and making his England debut.

Next up is a first crack at the Champions League on Tuesday when Chelsea begin their campaign at home to Valencia.

It will be a far cry from the last time he was at Stamford Bridge for a match in the world’s elite club competition – when he was a ball boy at a semi-final first leg against Barcelona.

Mount, 20, was focused on only one thing that night – and it wasn’t Chelsea’s goal from Didier Drogba.

“Messi played,” said Mount.

“I was just watching him the whole game.

“I remember just watching him kind of walk around a bit and then when he got the ball he just lit up.

“He doesn’t do much running off the ball but as soon as they got it he comes alive.

“Even though I was Chelsea I was just watching him – the best player in the world.”

This goes some way to explaining why Mount is developing so swiftly as a footballer – the instinctive desire to learn all he can.

Being in awe of the brilliance of Lionel Messi is a perfect education if you are wise enough to enjoy the lesson – even when he is the opposition.

Chelsea drew the second leg of that 2012 semi-final away in the Nou Camp and went on to win the final against Bayern Munich.

And Mount has fond memories watching those matches at home with his family. It was brilliant watching Chelsea throughout my childhood and I remember Ramires and Fernando Torres scoring the goals in Barcelona,” he said.

“Then they go on and win it in Munich. I was with my family and they were unbelievable scenes.”

The road from ball boy to a likely Champions League debut has taken seven years and if Chelsea progress from their group there could even be a meeting against Messi and Barcelona later in the tournament.

Mount can even recall the instructions given to him before the game against Barca.

The midfielder added: “It was keep the ball rolling quick. They tell the ball boys to keep the game flowing.”

And that is exactly how he plays the game, passing the ball at speed, making the match move swiftly.

His career is doing just the same with Frank Lampard in charge at Chelsea.

Mount (below) said: “Yes, it’s all happening for me but you can’t really get too caught up in everything.

“They were two good games for England, two wins that keeps us top of the group and now I’m focusing on Chelsea – the Premier League and the Champions League.

“It’s coming thick and fast but I will be ready.”