According to a recent report by Football.London, European footballing superstar Lionel Messi has picked out Chelsea star Mason Mount as one to watch out for in the coming years. Messi’s partnership with football trading card company Topps entitled the Argentine to a special deck of cards, based solely on Champions League moments. The deck also included separate picks for the ‘top talent’ and the ‘youth on the rise’ categories, where each card would have a personalised thought from Messi himself.
The Barcelona stalwart then went on to express his admiration for the Chelsea youngster. The Argentine skipper said, “having watched him play, he has the potential to be one of the best.”
21-year-old Mason Mount has been the subject of a lot of positive feedback from various sources around the world of football this season. Still, it must be conceded that a compliment of this magnitude from the man who is arguably the best player in the world is sure to have a special place in the midfielder’s heart.
What Can Mason Mount Add To This Chelsea Team In The Coming Years?
The youngster has been nothing short of a sensation since the start of the campaign, and it’s perhaps not surprising that his exploits haven’t been going unrecognised. Positionally, the Englishman is an attacking midfielder, whose best role is when deployed just in behind the main striker as a form of added support. Despite being only 21, the Blues man boasts excellent control as well as composure in possession, and can hence play anywhere across the front-line if required.
Frank Lampard hasn’t been reluctant in playing him on the flanks at times either, and although the output level isn’t quite the same, there’s no denying that Mount tends to be effective. The youngster has showcased his amazing ability to finish in and around the area, with the goal he scored against Everton recently acting as the perfect example. Similar to Lampard in his general playing style, Mason Mount will surely prosper from working with the Stamford Bridge legend in the coming years.
What Has Mason Mount Achieved This Season?
The Englishman first broke into the scene during his successful loan spell at Frank Lampard’s Derby County team last season. Having been a regular starter for the Rams, the youngster impressed members at various levels of the Chelsea hierarchy. He was brought into the side right from the off this season, and to say that Lampard’s trust in the midfielder has paid off would only be an understatement.
The youngster has gone on to make 29 league appearances for the Blues this season, meaning that he’s featured in every single fixture, either as a starter or as a substitute. This further highlights the sheer amount of trust that Frank Lampard has placed in the Englishman.
With six goals and five assists to show for his efforts in the league, the former Vitesse Arnhem loanee has even made six appearances for Gareth Southgate’s England setup. Messi’s compliments will undoubtedly come as a confidence boost for the youngster, but a true Chelsea fan would probably argue that they didn’t need the Argentine to tell them that Mason Mount is headed for big things.
