Frank Lampard believes Mason Mount’s free-kick technique marks the England midfielder’s true class.
Chelsea boss Lampard hailed Mount for a breakthrough campaign where he has set new records at Stamford Bridge and also stepped up to international football.
The 21-year-old has become Chelsea’s first academy graduate to make more than 50 appearances in his debut senior season and toasted a fine campaign with a stunning set-piece goal against Wolves on Sunday.
Mount slotted an inch-perfect free-kick and teed up Olivier Giroud at Stamford Bridge as the Blues saw off Wolves 2-0 to book their place in next term’s Champions League.
The Portsmouth-born midfielder is already one of Lampard’s most trusted attacking lieutenants just one year into his senior Blues career, but the Stamford Bridge coach insisted Mount will just keep getting better.
“He will definitely get better, because he is so young,” said Lampard. “When a player comes in and plays in their breakthrough year and is consistently in the team, people sometimes treat them as though they are older than they are. But he is still young.
“You saw his technique from the free-kick. His is a special technique, and only top players can strike the ball that way. His all-round game for the season has been brilliant. His work ethic and training daily is brilliant.
“He has already contributed a great amount, but he will also get a lot better. This is just the start for Mason at Chelsea.”
Chelsea’s fourth-place finish caps a turbulent but ultimately positive maiden Premier League campaign for former midfield favourite Lampard. The ex-England midfielder has steered Chelsea through their transfer ban, blooded a host of youngsters and now also launched a squad revamp ahead of next term.
Mount stands out as the most successful of Lampard’s young guns, and the midfielder himself admitted he was delighted with his first free-kick goal for Chelsea.
He told the club’s official website: “I’ve been waiting the whole season to put a free-kick in! It’s about time one went in. I’m very happy with it. I’m always trying to get it on target.
“And then the second goal just before half-time, it really helped us going into the second half.
“We work on free-kicks quite a lot. If you want to score goals, want to score free-kicks, you have got to practice. We were doing them the day before the game and I didn’t score one! I had a terrible day, and I was saying to Tammy [Abraham] I would save it for tomorrow.
“Willian was in the stands and we had a little laugh to each other, because I’m always saying to him: ‘Let me take the first one.’ But we know what quality he has on free-kicks. But I said I’ll take the first one next time!”
PA
