Ruben Amorim and Frank Lampard have lavished praise on Manchester United's Mason Mount amid his ongoing struggles with injury. The England ace made the surprising move from boyhood club Chelsea to Old Trafford in 2023 for a hefty £55million, as Erik ten Hag secured his services.
Mount had already proven his mettle at Chelsea, earning a spot in the first team thanks to Lampard, who previously brought him through at Derby County before their collaboration at Stamford Bridge. The Coventry City manager, acknowledging their shared competitive spirit, explained on EFL Unfiltered podcast: "I have this real professional drive and if I see something and I want to do it, I'll do it.
"If I can't do it, I want to do it. If I do it well, I want to do it better. I've always had that and I have taken it into management. It becomes a bit more taxing as you get older as well. It's a bit more tiring. When you've got loads of energy in your 20s, it's like I'm going to the moon. Then when you're in your 40s, you have days where you go: 'I need a day off'.
"But the drive in me is still there, it just changes a bit I guess. I love seeing it in players, there's some players that naturally have it. I always felt that with Mason Mount, working with him as a young player, I could see the look in his eye."
Despite struggling to stay fit and making only 12 appearances for United this season, Mount has won admiration from his Portuguese boss for his attitude, even as he faces an uphill battle with injuries. The 40-year-old shared: "Mason Mount... I have to tell you I love that kid. You can look in his eyes that he wants this so bad. And this is the most important thing for me."
Mount's tenacity appears clear despite just one goal to his name for United and an extended spell out of action due to a thigh problem. The midfielder last featured during a brief stint against Manchester City in December before his injury struck. Progress reports on his recovery are positive, reports the Mirror, though Amorim hasn't announced a return date.
Mount was unavailable to travel with the squad to Spain on Thursday as United were held to a 1-1 draw in the first leg of their Europa League Round of 16 tie against Real Sociedad. Joshua Zirkzee opened the scoring for the away side in the 57th minute but conceded 13 minutes later as Mikel Oyarzabal's penalty levelled the score. United host the Spanish side at Old Trafford in the second leg on Thursday next week.