Mason Mount: Journey from Chelsea academy to Chelsea star
Detailed look at the loan moves that made him, by Felix Johnston
Contribution article by our Twitter admin, Felix Johnston (@CFCLoanArmy_)
Before the loan move: Mason Mount was incredibly successful at Youth level:
Chelsea's Academy POTY in 2017
2017 U19 EUROS POTT & match-winning assist
Won U18 Premier League, as captain
Won UEFA Youth League
Won 2 FA Youth Cups (captain for 1 of them).
Vitesse Arnhem
Mason joined Vitesse Arnhem on loan on the 24th July 2017, simultaneously signing a new Chelsea contract through to 2021.
He was kept on the fringes of the side for the first few months, and to most it looked like Mount was going to be yet another 'flop' in the loan system. The Vitesse Manager said Mount's 'physical side, still had to take steps.'
Then he was reduced to sporadic appearances off the bench, mixing with 1 or 2 starts, until he had a 'breakthrough' game on the 23rd of November vs Lazio in the Europa League.
Mount created 8 chances in a single game, along with completing all 5 of the dribbles he attempted.
After this game, Mount didn't look back, consistently starting for Vitesse and consistently bagging goals and assists for fun. Mount kept ticking over with goals and assists, but really started firing towards the end of the season.
It only got better for Mount, who scored a hattrick (and bagged an assist) in Vitesse's 1st game in the Europa League playoffs. He contributed 4 goals in a 5-2 win vs ADO Den Haag, to put them in a brilliant position to qualify for the final.
Mount continued his exceptional end of season form, scoring in the 2nd leg of the UEL Playoff vs ADO Den Haag. He also scored in the UEL Playoff Final vs FC Ultrecht, as Vitesse went on to win 3-2, capping off a sensational maiden season in professional football.
Overall season:
Mount ended with a sensational 14 goals and 9 assists at the end of his loan move. To compare, the highly rated Donny Van De Beek only managed 19 G&A in his best season in Netherlands and he played in a much better team.
Mount ended the season with:
Vitesse's Player of the Season
Eredivisie Team of the Season
Europa League qualification - 23 Goals & Assists
1st hattrick in professional football.
Vitesse team-mate Mitchell van Bergen on Mason Mount: “Mason is going to reach the absolute top. In the Premier League he will be a complete player and I see him eventually ending up at Barcelona or Real Madrid. I think he will fit there.”
Vitesse Manager, Henk Fraser, on Mason Mount: "Mason is very similar to Johan Cruyff. He is wiry, watery and so fast at the ball. In his head he never actually enters duels. Just like Frenkie de Jong."
He also said Mount 'was further along' than Wijnaldum and Depay at their age.
Derby County
Mason Mount joined Derby on the 17th of July 2018 on a season long loan move, joining up with Chelsea Legend Frank Lampard, the manager of Derby at the time. He was followed by Fikayo Tomori who also joined on loan from Chelsea and Chelsea legend, Ashley Cole, joined in January.
Frank Lampard had this to say on Mount's signing: “I know Mason really well from my Chelsea links and I have also watched him play in their very successful youth teams.
“I also watched him closely at Vitesse, where he took it by storm."
Jody Morris on Mount's immediate impact: "After the 1st training session, 4 or 5 of the players came up to us and went, 'oh my god'.
"Mount made the Derby players stand up and think 'we haven’t just signed a kid from Chelsea, we’ve signed someone who can do big things for us'."
Mason Mount made an immediate impact at Derby, scoring on his debut in a 2-1 win over Reading on the 3rd of August 2018. It was a left footed shot from outside the box, that drew Derby level 1-1, igniting the fight to go on and win the game 2-1.
Under two months into his loan move, Mount and Derby had a very high profile game vs Manchester United in the EFL Cup. Incredibly, Derby beat Man United on penalties, with Mount stepping up and burying the 1st penalty of the shootout in the top corner.
His impressive performances at Derby got him his 1st England U21 call up and then an England Senior Team call up. He scored the winner on his debut U21s call up in a 2-1 win over Latvia. He then got his 1st Senior Squad call up in October, after netting 5 goals for Derby.
Gareth Southgate said this on Mount's Senior call up: "He has created more chances than any player in the Championship. He trained with us before the World Cup. He can have an impact with the group and we have no hesitation to play him in games."
Another huge moment in Mason Mount's loan move at Derby was playing Chelsea at Stamford Bridge in the EFL Cup. Mount and Fikayo Tomori were allowed to face their parent club in the EFL Cup and Mount even managed to grab an assist against his own club - Chelsea.
Mason Mount and Derby continued to impress, by knocking out yet another Premier League side, this time in the FA Cup, in Southampton. Both legs finished 2-2, with the 2nd leg going to a penalty shootout and Mount burying his penalty in the top corner, once again.
Unfortunately, Mount got a hamstring injury in an FA Cup game vs Accrington Stanley on the 26th of January. He was out for two months and returned on 30th March vs Rotherham. After two months of injury - Mount scored, got an assist and won a penalty in his 1st game back.
Mason Mount scored his 1st hattrick in English Football vs Bolton Wanderers in a 4-0 win.
Derby reached the play-offs by 1 point and faced Leeds United in the semi-final. Derby lost the 1st leg 1-0. The 2nd leg ended 4-2 to Derby in a thrilling game, with Mount scoring a great goal himself, shushing the Leeds fans in celebration.
Mason Mount's sh*t-housery in this game was spectacular. After his goal, he shushed the Leeds fans and then after full time he referenced the infamous 'Spygate' incident, where Marcelo Bielsa had a member of staff spying on Derby's training sessions.
Kalvin Phillips said this on Mount, who he faced in the play-offs: "Mason Mount was unbelievable, I've said that since day one. Playing with him, playing against him for Derby, he's unbelievable."
Mount reached the play-off final for the 2nd season in a row, but unfortunately unlike at Vitesse, he fell short in the final to Tammy Abraham's Aston Villa, in a 2-1 defeat.
He ended his loan move at Derby with 17 G+A throughout the season, in all competitions.
Mount was played as an 8 during his loan, so he wasn't deployed for only goals, he had to progress the ball and defend as well, so these numbers are very impressive.
And the rest was history...
The next season, Mason Mount became a regular in Chelsea's 1st team under his manager at Derby - Frank Lampard. He often got labelled as 'Lampard's Son' due to constantly being played, but as usual, he proved the doubters wrong.
Mason Mount's achievements at Chelsea:
FA Cup Final x2
Captained Chelsea
Chelsea Top Scorer
Chelsea POTY
Goal in UCL quarter and semi-final
Assist in UCL final
Champions League Winner
Euros Finalist
Super Cup Winner
Top 20 Ballon d'Or
1st Chelsea hattrick.
Written by Felix Johnston (@CFCLoanArmy_)
Excellent article about Mason Mount, Felix.