"I'm Delighted For Mason And It's A Deserved Call Up"

Manager Frank Lampard could not hide his delight as midfielder Mason Mount received his first England senior call up this afternoon.

Mount has been in scintillating form for Derby County this season and has netted five goals in 14 appearances. He has been a stand-out performer for the Rams and has regularly earned good plaudits, mainly from Lampard himself.

The 19-year-old’s form has attracted the attention of England manager Gareth Southgate who was in the stands last month for Derby’s home clash against Blackburn Rovers.

“I’m delighted for Mason and it’s a deserved call up,” Lampard told RamsTV. “I appreciate and say thanks to Gareth Southgate and Steve Holland but it is their job and if they have seen that Mason is performing well enough to get in then we are thrilled for him who deserves it on his performances.

“He’s had a season on loan last season where he did fantastic, he was maybe off our radars being in Holland but what he’s doing now has catapulted him into the thinking and I’m really pleased. I’m sure he will do himself justice when he trains with them.”

Comparisons in playing styles continue to be made between Mount and Lampard and the manager spoke highly about his qualities off the pitch, as well as on it.

“The good thing about Mason is that he has everything,” said Lampard. “When I say that, it’s not just his qualities on the pitch, they are all very evident and there is a lot more to come. He has a lot more uplifts still to come which is great news but his personality and mentality, to want to improve, to take things on board, to not be overwhelmed and to have humility in the way that he trains, and how he carries himself, but to have an inner confidence, that’s what sets him apart for me.

“All those landmarks are due to hard work, good quality and they will keep on coming. It’s a great test for him and he won’t be overawed. There is something inside Mason where he feels like an England player, with a lot of humility with it which is a great mix.

“It’s one of the highest accolades you can get. I said to him that’s it’s only just begun now. Once you are in there you either stay or you drop out so all this positive talk around him now brings a new challenge of what he can do. People look at Mason Mount as an England player now so that brings a new challenge for him.”

Mount trained this morning and was immediately called to the manager’s office. Questions must have been running through the youngster’s head as to why.

“I tried to kid him and told him he might be dropped at the weekend,” Lampard joked. “I tried to make the conversation quite down and then I told him the news and he was delighted and he had a big smile on his face.

“He is a hungry boy and he wants to do things in football which he is more than capable of doing and it was great. It was one of those moments for me which was great to pass on that information but all the hard work has been Mason’s own.”