Mason Mount had a wry smile following England’s 1-0 win over Croatia after he was told that Frank Lampard called him the complete midfielder.
The playmaker was influential in helping Gareth Southgate’s men secure a victory in their tournament opener.
And his former boss Lampard, who was on punditry duty for BBC One, was full of praise for the youngster as his meteoric rise for club and country continues.
Lampard has been instrumental in Mount ‘s development, first at Derby and then at Chelsea before he was sacked as Stamford Bridge boss earlier in the season.
And when asked by ex-Manchester United defender Rio Ferdinand whether Mount’s “all-round” game was something that comes natural or has been taught, Lampard joked: “I taught him it! When he came to Derby he couldn’t do anything!”
(Image: BBC)
Does Frank Lampard deserve some credit for Mason Mount’s meteoric rise this season? Comment below
On a more serious note, Lampard said: “He’s got the intelligence. He knows the right runs to go, he has the work ethic. He will run all day and give everything.
“That’s why, when you’re playing that midfield, he has to play in this team.
“He’s the best attacking midfielder in terms of pressing and jumping from midfield to win the ball back.”
During Mount’s post-match interview, he was told about his former coach’s comments, to which the 22-year-old replied with a big grin: “Thanks to him!”
Lampard later gave further credit to Mount, saying: “That’s why we love Mason, because he ticks all the boxes.
“He speaks well, he’s humble.”
Lampard would also open up in his exit from Chelsea and admitted it was bittersweet to watch his successor Thomas Tuchel secure the Champions League for the Blues.
(Image: CameraSport via Getty Images)
But he also felt immensely proud that he was able to lay the foundations for the club’s success and help players like Mount develop.
He said: “Yeah when you work towards something you want to be there, you want to be the manager and I’m never going to try and lay claim on that. I was part of the early foundation potentially but Thomas did a fantastic job getting them there.
“I will say when I watched it, first I’m a Chelsea person, Chelsea fans are happy and the club deserves.
“But secondly to see Mason (Mount) and Reece (James) perform at that level, people like Mendy, Thiago and Chilwell, who came in in my time makes me pretty proud. But again that’s a great achievement by them and well managed.”
