Former Manchester City defender turned pundit Micah Richards says he has changed his mind over Chelsea midfielder Mason Mount.
Mount has played an integral part for Chelsea this season, becoming a favourite under Frank Lampard and then proving himself to new head coach Thomas Tuchel in recent weeks.
The 22-year-old midfielder has already racked up a whopping 39 appearances and having arguably been overlooked in the past, perhaps due to his relationship with Lampard, Mount his now turning heads with his brilliant form under Tuchel.
And ahead of Chelsea's FA Cup win over Sheffield United today, pundit Richards spoke about Mount and why he has been forced to admit he was wrong for suggesting Aston Villa star Jack Grealish was a better player.
“He’s a player who I wasn’t so sure about at the start, to be honest, I thought Grealish was the better player," Richards told the BBC. "But this talent we’ve got here, he’s so exceptional because he can play in a number of positions.
"He’s a player who wants to get in between the lines, but he always wants to pass forward. We see so many people who get between the lines and play an easy pass back. He can play on the left or on the right.
"When I said before I wasn’t sure about him, it’s because on the eye, Jack Grealish looks a bit better but his brain, the way he can play in a variety of positions, he’s so impressive.”
Former Chelsea winger Joe Cole agreed, suggesting Mount will be a guaranteed starter for England at Euro 2020 this summer.
“He’s integral. He has everything, his timing of the runs, his understanding of when to get between the lines, playing forward, it’s his awareness, he’s always scanning, he’s always on the front foot, he can run forward and back.
"He still needs to add some more goals to his game but apart from that, I think he’s the number one on Gareth Southgate’s team sheet going into a World Cup or Euros. He has to play. For me, he’s the best one.”
