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Premier League great Rio Ferdinand has heaped praise on Chelsea midfielder Mason Mount ahead of the Blues' UEFA Champions League clash with Real Madrid.
Mount rose through the ranks at Chelsea's academy before making his senior debut for them in 2019. The midfielder has since established himself as a key player for the Stamford Bridge outfit, scoring 27 goals and providing 28 assists from 151 appearances across all competitions.
While Mount made his breakthrough under Frank Lampard, he has continued to be an important player for the club under Thomas Tuchel. The 23-year-old has netted 10 goals and provided 13 assists in 44 matches this season.
The Portsmouth-born midfielder's performances for the Blues have also seen him become a regular in Gareth Southgate's England squad. He has played a total of 27 matches for the Three Lions so far.
As Mount continues to impress for club and country, Ferdinand has hailed him as a 'mad player'. The Manchester United legend is also of the view that the Chelsea star will remain a regular for the England national team due to his work ethic. He said on his YouTube channel [via Football London]:
“Mount is a mad player. On and off the ball, that’s what I love about him. He gives you both sides of the game. Young players watching the game, if you watch Mount, he’s efficient with it, and he can bang, but it’s the work ethic and the positions he takes up defensively. That’s why he’ll always play for England because I think you can rely on him.”
It is worth noting that Mount is Chelsea's top goalscorer and top assist provider in the Premier League this season. The fact that he has more goal contributions than the likes of Romelu Lukaku, Kai Havertz and Timo Werner highlights his importance to the team.
Chelsea face Real Madrid in the Champions League
The Blues will be hopeful that Mount is on song when they face Real Madrid in the Champions League later tonight. Tuchel's side are set to take on Los Blancos in the second leg of their quarter-final tie at the Santiago Bernabeu.
Real Madrid go into the game with a two-goal lead, having beaten the London giants 3-1 at Stamford Bridge last week. Karim Benzema scored a hat-trick for Carlo Ancelotti's side, while Havertz netted for the hosts.
The Blues will be determined to turn things around against Real Madrid tonight. However, it remains to be seen if they have what it takes to cause an upset in Spain.
