It’s been a busy few years for Mason Mount. After shining on loan with Derby County in 2018/19, he returned to Chelsea and blossomed into a star under manager Frank Lampard, whose relationship with the midfielder was irrationally criticised by a number of supporters.

Since Lampard’s dismissal, however, the critics of Mount’s game have become muted, with doubters of his role with both Chelsea and England starting to appreciate what he brings under new boss Thomas Tuchel.

With so much going on in his young career, Mount had a lot to speak about in his interview with the Daily Mail, and here are some of the best bits.

Both Mount and Lampard faced criticism for the midfielder’s significant role in Chelsea’s first team, with some fans confused as to why Mount was in the team at all.

„I never really looked into that kind of stuff where people say [that]. Frank added a lot to my game and helped me go to the Championship, learning that kind of football and then bringing me back to Chelsea. I learnt a lot.

„And now it’s a different kind of learning under a different manager. For me, at 22, to learn off these different managers with different views of football, it’s only adding to me and making me better and better.“

When Tuchel arrived, he made the decision to drop Mount and the majority of Chelsea’s other youngsters for his first game, opting for more experienced players just 24 hours after his arrival at the club.

„I’ve never experienced a managerial change in my career so it was different. I’ve seen it from afar, in the academy. But you don’t really know what it feels like until you’re in it.

„It’s very difficult. You know what I’m like, I want to play every single game. But, with the new manager coming in, I understood that he went for experience [against Wolves]. We had a chat and I understood what his view was and that really helped me moving on. I knew I just had to keep working hard and show him what I can do.

„Obviously now I have played or started mostly every game. He just said, ‚Keep working hard, I’ve seen you only for one session and I’m very happy so don’t let your head drop‘. And that’s something I wouldn’t do anyway. I’m always someone who wants to strive to prove someone wrong or show something that maybe they haven’t seen.

„He’s very passionate. When he came in, we had a meeting, we had training and we had one day before a game and everyone knew their role with the team. It was very clear what he wanted. The players understand what a new manager wants and what his goal of playing is, what he wants off the ball, what he wants on the ball, what kind of movement. He made it very easy to understand. We’ve been learning more and more.“

„I’m definitely someone who really looks at the game and studies what I do at the end of a season. I looked at some of the performances and games where I did have dips, maybe a couple in a row where maybe I didn’t have a big impact.

„That was something I looked at coming into this season, where I need to get better. That was a big focus of mine, speaking to my dad as well, at the end of last season. I feel like I have implemented it and been doing well but feel there’s room for improvement.

„I’m definitely not content with just playing well or having good games. I want to do more. I’m happy but I’m not happy until I keep getting better and better and I’m at that stage where I know I can.

„A lot of it probably comes down to experience. It’s only my second season in the first team. That first season, I was very happy with how it went and was buzzing to be in the team and how many games I played and what I achieved. I was too over-excited at times and wanted to do too much and it probably wasn’t coming off.“

The friendship between Mount and West Ham United midfielder Declan Rice is well known and was often mentioned in the Blues‘ pursuit of the Hammers man last summer.

„Me and Dec, we’re just best mates, so to do something like play for England, both score and both partner each other in midfield, that’s something we never thought about or realised we could do.

„It’s a crazy thing to think about. Growing up together, going round each other’s house, having sleepovers is just what we’ve done since we’ve been young. Now we’re achieving, playing for our country and, with a big Euros coming up, hopefully having the chance to play in that. It’s crazy the journey we’ve been on, different journeys, different routes. It’s something you could make a movie out of or do a book.“

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