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Declan Rice explains how Frank Lampard has got in-form Mason Mount firing at Chelsea


Mason Mount has enjoyed an excellent start to the season with Chelsea (Picture: Getty)

West Ham midfielder Declan Rice believes that in-form Mason Mount has benefited from playing in a ‘second striker’ role for Chelsea under Frank Lampard this season.

Mount, 20, has enjoyed an impressive start to the Premier League season, scoring twice in four Premier League matches for Lampard’s youthful, new-look Chelsea side.

Lampard has ditched the 4-3-3 formation used by his predecessor Maurizio Sarri in favour of a 4-2-3-1 system with Mount acting as the centrepiece of the attack in a No.10 position.

And Rice, Mount’s best friend, believes that position is his best, stating that his international teammate could score in every match such is his quality in front of goal.

Mason Mount has started all four of Chelsea’s Premier League matches under Frank Lampard (Picture: Getty)

‘I’m not surprised at all [with his form], Rice said.’I’ve said to loads of people, he could score in every game if he wanted to.

‘I can tell he’s training with Frank and they’re working really well because he’s like a second striker, making those runs which Lampard used to do.

‘He’s going to keep doing that at Chelsea for years.’

Chelsea have long been accused of neglecting their hugely successful youth academy down the years but in the wake of a FIFA transfer ban, their homegrown stars are being given a chance.

Lampard has fielded a number of academy graduates already this season with Mount and Tammy Abraham, in particular, delivering impressive performances at the top end of the pitch.

Rice, also 20, was part of Chelsea’s youth team for a number of years prior to leaving when he was 14 to move from west to east London in order to sign for West Ham.

Speaking about his relationship with Mount, he said: ‘Since we were young, we’ve always been egging each other on to get better.

‘We’ve always had a winning mentality. We went our separate ways but always stayed in contact, dropped each other a message now and then.

‘It just shows the type of character he is that he came on and did excellently. He fully deserves it.’





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