Everything you need to know about England and Chelsea midfield star Mason Mount!
Mason Tony Mount is an English professional footballer who plays as an attacking or central midfielder for Premier League club Chelsea and the England national team. He was born on 10 January 1999, in Portsmouth, Hampshire.
Mount began his football journey in the youth academy of Chelsea, one of the elite clubs in England. He joined the Blues at the age of six and progressed through the various age groups, showcasing his exceptional work-rate and footballing intelligence.
After rapid development in the youth ranks, he was loaned out to gain valuable first-team experience. During the 2017-2018 season, Mount was loaned to Vitesse Arnhem in the Netherlands, where he impressed with 24 direct goal contributions from 40 appearances across all competitions.
Another loan move followed, this time to Championship outfit Derby County. He shone again with 11 goals and six assists from 44 outings. Following his successful loan spells, Mount returned to Chelsea and made his first-team debut in August 2019, and never looked back since, quickly establishing himself as a regular starter under manager Frank Lampard, who had a reputation for nurturing young talent.
Mount continued to shine for Chelsea, playing a vital role in their success in recent years, but the major highlight arrived in May 2021 when the Englishman lifted the UEFA Champions League trophy with Chelsea, assisting Kai Havertz’s match-winning goal against Manchester City in the final. He also won the UEFA Super Cup and the FIFA Club World Cup in the same year.
Mount made his senior international debut for England in September 2019 after showcasing his potential across all youth levels with the Three Lions. He has since become a regular member of the England squad and was an integral part of the team that reached the final of the UEFA Euro 2020 tournament, ultimately losing to Italy in a penalty shootout.
The 36-cap England star also featured at the recent 2022 World Cup in Qatar, where England were knocked out at the quarter-final stage.
At just 24 years old, Mason Mount has already achieved a significant amount in his career, but what are 13 fun things about Mount you need to know…!
Living his dad's dream
Mount's footballing education began at an early age at his family home. His father, Tony Mount, had the most influence on his son's football career. Tony was a former non-league footballer who later coached local clubs, including Havant Town and Newport.
While Mount's father had a rather unimpressive professional career, he vowed to continue living his dream through his son. No wonder Mount Senior was the one who enrolled him into one of the town’s best football academies, Baorhunt FC, at the age of four.
Mount has spoken about how his father's influence has been crucial to his development as a footballer. He has said that his father taught him the importance of work-rate, passion, and dedication in football, and that he has always been there to support him.
He said: "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."
AdvertisementHis father called an emergency family meeting 🚨
It was way back in 2014 and Mount, one of the most in-demand 15-year-old talents in the country, had to pick between a scholarship with the Blues and a host of tempting offers to leave.
However, this was the time when Chelsea were bankrolled by Russian billionaire Roman Abramovich and the club's transfer policy was more centred around buying ready-made superstars instead of promoting talent from youth ranks.
World-class players like Kevin De Bruyne and Mohamed Salah were not given a chance to play at Chelsea, and so they left – becoming big stars.
His father was worried about the situation and called a family meeting to discuss the possibility of leaving Chelsea. Uncles, aunts and grandparents offered advice to the talented teenager after dad Tony called a family meeting at their Portsmouth home. Mount's resolve to become a Chelsea star, though, stayed firm as he refused to budge under pressure.
Tony later explained the incident in an interview with The Sun, saying: "I told Mason I thought he needed to move on to get the best opportunity.
"I said, 'No one at Chelsea's academy has got into the first-team since John Terry — what chance have you got?'
"Mason shot back, 'I'll be the next one.' He said, 'I'm not leaving Chelsea, it's my club. I've been here since the age of six and I'm going all the way.'"
Getty ImagesFootballing inspirations in life?
Mount's idols in football were Lampard, Andres Iniesta, and Luka Modric.
In an interview, he said: “Frank was an example throughout my career at Chelsea, and throughout my career as a midfielder. When it comes to scoring goals as a midfielder, you look at Frank Lampard as a role model. I looked at [Luka] Modric when he was in the Premier League at Tottenham. Andres Iniesta at Barcelona in his prime, playing their tiki-taka, I was always watching them on YouTube.”
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Getty ImagesBest friends with Declan Rice 🤝
West Ham United star Declan Rice and Mount have been best friends for over 12 years. The pair first met when they were just eight years old. They were in their formative footballing years in Chelsea's Cobham Academy, at a time when their aspirations of professional contracts and England call-ups were simply just dreams.
They remained close friends and have since progressed to England teammates. Both have risen to stardom at club level, too, with Rice becoming a key player and captain at West Ham while Mount stayed at Chelsea and has become an integral figure at Stamford Bridge.
With both West Ham and Chelsea in close proximity, Mount and Rice remain in close touch and hang out every now and then on the streets of London. What's more, Mount unknowingly violated the COVID-19 pandemic lockdown restrictions by going out in the open to play football with his best buddy in 2020, for which he was criticised in the mainstream media.