‘Self-isolating’ Mount has kickabout with pal Rice
ENGLAND star Mason Mount has caused outrage by having a kickabout with Declan Rice while he was meant to be self-isolating.
Chelsea midfielder Mount is facing a club fine as he had been told to stay at home, after teammate Callum Hudson-odoi tested positive for coronavirus last week.
Rice’s West Ham are not under lockdown and it is not clear whether he knew of Mount’s situation.
But it cannot have been wise to openly mix with close mate Mount, who has been in contact with a virus victim – especially in public.
The pair, both 21, were spotted by star-struck kids at Trent Park Football, near Barnet, north London, yesterday lunchtime.
A stunned dad-of-three said: “I took my 14-year old son there for a training session.
“We arrived early and noticed a car that looked a bit ridiculous and
■ we wondered who was in it. Then another came along with three or four people inside.
“I didn’t immediately recognise anyone but my son recognised Mason Mount as the driver.
“They were all shouting out the car window at their mates.
“Then they played a kickabout of five or six-a-side.
“My son and lots of other children were stood there watching them.
“Declan Rice was playing too. They were wearing snoods but it wasn’t obvious to me whether they were using them to protect other people or so they wouldn’t be noticed.
“Mason Mount seemed a bit less keen to reveal his identify going by his body language.
“It was a knockabout with lot of banter.
“I suppose I was carried along with my son’s excitement but when I went back to the car I thought, ‘Hang on.’
“We’ve got someone out in public who is a team-mate of Callum Hudson-odoi, who actually has coronavirus.
“It looked like none of them were taking the situation very seriously.
“I’m a Liverpool fan and we heard last week how seriously Jurgen Klopp is taking it. He would have been furious. We saw how furious he was with fans who held their hands out to him in the Champions League game.
“It should be taken seriously, if it’s as apocalyptic as they say.
“No one else there seemed that worried.
“I would imagine their clubs would be horrified.
“Are they taking it seriously or is it just a PR thing?”
On Thursday night Chelsea released a statement following Hudson-odoi’s positive test.
“Chelsea personnel who had recent close contact with the player in the men’s team building will now self-isolate in line with government health guidelines,” it read.
“These will include initially the full men’s team squad, coaching staff and a number of backroom staff.”
A Chelsea spokesman said last night that the club have reminded Mount of his responsibilities.
West Ham, meanwhile, insist that Rice had done nothing wrong and was not in isolation.
Former Manchester City defender Eliaquim Mangala is among five staff to test positive at Valencia.
He is self-isolating at home.
