Mason Mount has been tipped to win Chelsea’s player of the season award by BBC and ESPN reporter Alison Bender, striking comparisons to Frank Lampard.
The 22-year-old midfielder made his 100th Blues appearance versus Real Madrid in the first leg of Chelsea’s maiden UEFA Champions League semi-final in seven years.
Bender showered the young midfielder with praise claiming “it is hard to not pick him” whilst also titling him as the sides big game player.
She said: “Mount has been my player of the season so far. It’s hard to not pick him. He was there when we needed him under Lampard; he always stepped up.
“Lampard was given a lot of stick, but you can see how mature he is for his age. He is hungry and has a lack of fear; he is having fun.”
Fabinho 0-1 Mason Mount
Liverpool 0-1 Mason Mount
Liverpool 0-1 ChelseaWhat a talent 👏 pic.twitter.com/rfGFZhjU4i
— Goal (@goal) March 5, 2021
She continued, drawing comparisons between the Mount and his former manager: “He is very intelligent and reads the game very well, like Lampard.”
In 2017, Mount joined Dutch club Vitesse Arnhem on a season-long loan from Chelsea at the age of just 18. He went on to feature 39 times that season scoring 13 and assisting ten; six appearances of which came in the Europa League.
The former Chelsea TV presenter believes that the abundance of game time in the Eredivisie has moulded Mount into the player he is today, ranking him ahead of Phil Foden who played just 1,107 minutes of senior football at the same age.
Another first for Foden. I spoke to him after he scored his first Premier League goal v Spurs and now he’s done it for England. He is a joy to watch. Really enjoyed this team performance. Having Rice alongside Mount and giving him the freedom to get forward worked so well https://t.co/K5tNZ5VUEL pic.twitter.com/vSdwS8hYDx
— Alison Bender (@alibendertv) November 19, 2020
She said: “There are many other young players like Phil Foden who just haven’t had their opportunities and now he’s finally getting them. Mount has played almost every game so far.”
Timo Werner joined Chelsea from RB Leipzig in a deal worth £47 million last summer and has since been accustom to criticism from fans. With this in mind, Bender continued by hailing Mount for his ability to play consistently at a high level, regardless of what position he plays.
She said: “I think when you see players trying a bit too hard or are going through a tough patch you just want to hug them!
“You’ve seen that with Werner, even Pulisic at times this season. Just go an enjoy it. I think that is what is good about Mount, he looks like he enjoys football. He is so consistent, and he can play every game when called upon.
Tuchel spoke to me about Mount’s mental maturity, makes you feel he’s much older than he is https://t.co/nWPIWzdlbP
— Alison Bender (@alibendertv) April 27, 2021
“Mount’s versatility too, it just keeps the opposition guessing. He has everything!”
