Mason Mount welcomes ‘brilliant world-class’ players, new competition at Chelsea

Mason Mount exemplifies Chelsea and head coach Frank Lampard in many ways, most notably in the idea that hard work and competition bring out the best in everybody.

Mount has seen that in action throughout his time at the club, starting from an early age when the Abramovich Era was just beginning in the SW6. He’s talked about it many times, and put it in action at all his clubs, be they Vitesse and Derby County on loan, or at Chelsea last season, when he led the team in appearances (though not minutes).

Many expect those numbers to drop this season after the spending spree of the summer, but it shouldn’t be surprising if they don’t drop much. Mount is certainly ready for the added competition.

“You look at our team now and some brilliant world-class players have come in and that keeps the competition high. Everyone is pushing for places and that’s what you want at a club like this. You want the competition to be there because it keeps standards high.

“When you’re in this building, you’re competing straight away. Chelsea is a massive club so they’re always going to sign top players.”

It’s easy to forget that Mount is still just 21 and has practically his entire career and his entire career’s worth of development and improvement ahead of him. He’s already crucial to the way (Lampard’s) Chelsea play on and especially off the ball — or at least was last season — and even though we spent upwards of £200m on new players, most of them in attack, Mount’s role will likely remain as key as ever. So far, he’s played every minute, and given our injuries and need for many to still adjust and acclimatize, that should continue.

And we can be sure that he’s not going to shirk from a fight for minutes.

“Some of them we know very well like Chilly. I know him very well so he’s come in and been around the boys quickly. The German boys coming in are obviously brilliant players and they add something to the group, Hakim as well and Thiago is another brilliant player. It’s all about competition at this club, world-class players coming in and they’re going to make all of us better.

“I love competing against my team-mates, we all love it, and the gaffer wants high standards in training. There’s always going to be that little feeling that they could be coming in to your position but with me, I’m always positive and up for the challenge.”

-Mason Mount; source: Chelsea FC

Go, fight, win!