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Rob Dawson, reporter
like Mason Mount He walked up the stairs to take his seat in the Old Trafford directors’ box before Manchester United’s Premier League match against Everton in March, and was greeted midway by England assistant manager Steve Holland. It was the 21st successive match that Mount had missed due to a calf injury sustained in training during the November international break, and the Netherlands were keen to know how the midfielder, who mainly plays for England when fit, had been doing. Acclimate.
“It was tough,” Mount said, reflecting on the forced absence of more than three months. It was something of an understatement.
In less than a year, he dealt with: leaving Chelsea, his boyhood club; Moving to Manchester, away from friends and family; Suffering from an injury after only two competitive matches; Losing his place in Erik ten Hag’s team; He suffers a longer and more serious injury setback. It’s tough, sure, but it’s a nightmare for a 25-year-old footballer.
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Mount has largely missed football since his £60m move last summer, sparking a running joke on social media that fans have “forgot he played for United”. Sources told ESPN that emotions had hurt Mount, and it was no coincidence that United’s social media team posted a photo on the day he returned to training last month.
It was particularly difficult, according to sources, because he was so desperate to make a good first impression at his new club. He can often be seen parking his car for autograph hunters when leaving United’s training ground at Carrington and, according to one source, raised £20,000 for charity earlier in the season by auctioning off a mascot experience, including the chance to hang out with him before a match. At Old Trafford.
According to sources, Mount found it difficult to move from Chelsea to United. He has been keen to win over fans as quickly as possible, while also trying to remain respectful to the Chelsea fans he has left behind.
Mount was disappointed by the description that he left Stamford Bridge for financial reasons, when, according to multiple sources, the decision was made over his head.
Chelsea’s owners were under pressure to raise cash during the transfer window last summer, and as an academy graduate entering the final year of his contract, Mount was seen as the perfect solution to generate much-needed cash. According to sources, instead of Mount rejecting several contract offers made by the club, Chelsea were inviting offers as early as December 2022.
Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp, according to a source, was in regular contact with Mount from January 2023. Meanwhile, a source said talks with Arsenal had reached such an advanced stage that Mikel Arteta privately told his coaches that a move to the Emirates was a “done deal.” “
A year on, there are similarities to Chelsea’s treatment Connor Gallagher.
Manager Mauricio Pochettino has said on numerous occasions that the club wants him to stay, but behind the scenes, Chelsea have encouraged interest in the English midfielder, especially from Tottenham Hotspur. Like Mount, Gallagher will enter the final year of his deal this summer, and the possibility remains that he may have to leave, whether he wants to or not.
With Mount’s departure from Chelsea still ongoing, sources say he has given almost no interviews. However, there is an acceptance that he will have to address the move at some point soon, if only to make sure his supporters understand his side of the story.
Mount will return to Chelsea for the first time on Thursday, with the possibility of getting a lukewarm reception from the same fans who watched him lift the Champions League in 2021 and win Chelsea’s Player of the Year award in 2021 and 2022. He will arrive at Stamford Bridge with at least a chance of starting. After coming off the bench for the final 10 minutes at Brentford on Saturday and scoring his first official goal since Chelsea’s 2-0 win over Bournemouth in December 2022. His former club, it will be his first start since November.
Sources told ESPN that Ten Hag and his staff were impressed by Mount’s determination to return as quickly as possible.
Although he only trained for two days, he volunteered to be available for the FA Cup tie with Liverpool last month after CasemiroLate withdrawal from the squad Ten Hag agreed that Mount would not play, but as the game went into extra time, he was asked to come on for the final 15 minutes to add some much-needed energy in the midfield.
Sources told ESPN that during his injury layoff, Mount requested to be part of team meetings that he was not required to attend in an effort to ensure he was aware of Ten Hag instructions and ready to return as soon as possible. It meant long days at Carrington and, according to sources, there were numerous occasions when the last player left.
Being on a different training and rehabilitation schedule to his teammates often made his first year at United a lonely experience. Close family members make sure to visit him in Manchester every two weeks.
Finally fit again and possibly back in the team, there is hope among those close to Mount that he will find the end of the season a much easier and happier experience than the start. He has not given up hope that his late run of form could see him return to the England squad (he has not played for his country since a World Cup quarter-final defeat to France in December 2022) for Euro 2024 in Germany this summer. But first he aims to put his difficult start to life at United behind him.
