Chelsea fans have shared an image of Mason Mount and Trevoh Chalobah with Lionel Messi after the young Blues defender reminisced about his time as a ball boy at Stamford Bridge.
Now key members of Thomas Tuchel’s current squad, the pair enjoyed humble beginnings in west London having acted as ball boys for the club during their youth careers - a fact hailed by Chalobah.
Talking in an interview with Chelsea’s official website: “It’s unbelievable. There was times where I used to be a ball boy here. I used to watch Champions League games. Before, you might have seen me and Mason [Mount] when Messi was taking a corner.
“From there, to playing with him, it’s dreams really. Just shows that I’ve always believed in myself. Always prepared myself for that opportunity and I think I’ve taken it well.”
The photo that Chalobah referenced does indeed show him alongside Mount crouched over the advertising hoardings at Stamford Bridge as the Argentine superstar prepares to take a corner at Stamford Bridge in 2012.
A game that will certainly be memorable for the academy duo, it will also certainly stick in the minds of all Chelsea fans, with Didier Drogba having netted the winner in the first-leg of the Champions League semi-finals against Pep Guardiola’s star-studded line-up.
The Blues then famously earned a draw at the Nou Camp through Fernando Torres’ late strike, booking their place in the final where they overcame Bayern Munich to win their first Champions League trophy.
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Since then, Chalobah and Mount have both enjoyed meteoric rises into the Chelsea first-team.
Following previous loan spells with Vitesse Arnhem and Derby County, Mount has gone on to make 116 appearances for the Blues, scoring 17 goals.
Meanwhile, Chalobah had to wait a little longer for his opportunity after loan periods with Ipswich Town, Huddersfield Town and Lorient but he has certainly grasped his chance this season with eight appearances and two goals for Thomas Tuchel’s men.
