Gary Lineker has praised Mason Mount following Manchester United’s 1-0 loss to Arsenal and claimed the midfielder looks like he has regained his energy amid a promising display on Sunday.
The former BBC presenter admitted Mount has had a ‘tough old time’ ever since he switched from Chelsea to Man United in the summer of 2023, as injuries and fitness issues prevented him from being a regular for the Red Devils.
However, impressed with his 65-minute display against Mikel Arteta’s side, Lineker claimed Mount looked back to his best on Sunday afternoon, as he was given a start by Ruben Amorim alongside new signings Matheus Cunha and Bryan Mbeumo.
Gary Lineker Praises ‘Exciting’ Mason Mount
Mason Mount in action for Manchester United
Lineker, speaking on The Rest is Football, was full of praise for Mount following United’s home defeat to Arsenal and claimed ‘there is definitely a footballer’ in the 26-year-old midfielder:
“He's had a tough old time, obviously, with injuries and fitness, and he’s not been at it since he went to Manchester United, and even before that, he's been struggling.
“And you just remind yourself of the talent that he has and how an exciting player he was when he was young at Chelsea, and he was really impressive.
“And I just thought to myself today, it looked like that energy was back. Let's hope he can stay fit, because there is a footballer in there, there definitely is.”
Mount impressed on both ends of the pitch on Sunday – his link-up play with Patrick Dorgu and Bruno Fernandes was sharp, while he also demonstrated exceptional defensive work rate in United’s press.
The 26-year-old frequently drifted into dangerous areas as he interchanged with Mbeumo and Cunha, creating two chances, taking two shots and registering a 77% pass accuracy (20/26).
The England international also put himself about physically, covering 7.4km, making seven sprints and recording a top speed of 31.1 km/h, according to data from SofaScore.
Mount particularly impressed in the first half before being replaced by United’s latest signing Benjamin Sesko for the final 25 minutes of play.
The Slovenia international had seven touches of the ball and two shots off target in his Old Trafford debut, having signed from RB Leipzig for £74m earlier this month.
Sign up toThe GIVEMESPORT Reportto get exclusive daily updates from Fabrizio Romano, Ben Jacobs, Dean Jones and Tom Bogert sent straight to your inbox.