Frank Lampard believes Chelsea fans should not doubt Mason Mount's love for the club despite his move to Manchester United this summer.
A large number of Blues supporters have turned on Mount after his £55m move to United brought an end to four years in the Chelsea first team which began when Lampard handed him his debut back in 2019/20.
Mount became synonymous with the Lampard era at Stamford Bridge, and although he admitted watching the transfer saga play out hurt, Lampard backed the England international to succeed at Old Trafford.
"I think he's a great signing [for United]," Lampard told the Diary of a CEO podcast.
"It's a complicated one. What I'll say about Mason is, you talk about modern players and how the game has changed, he's a throwback to the attitude, the commitment and the quality. The beauty of working with Mason was he gave you so much in terms of his effort every day. Anything you'd ask him to do, he got it. I think any great player has to have that intelligence and desire about them.
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"In terms of what he'll bring to Manchester United, it won't just be what Mason brings - he'll bring loads of talent - but he'll just go 'click' and the levels around him... Don't get me wrong, the bar-raisers are already there, but he will absolutely fit in with it. If you're trying to build a group mentality of a team with players who are going to give everything, he fits it.
"Mason Mount is going to be a fantastic player there in my opinion."
Lampard was then asked if he knew why Mount had left Chelsea, and although the former boss insisted he did not, he stressed it should not be viewed as the betrayal some Blues fans have taken it to be.
"I think Mason would have envisaged two years ago that he'd stay at Chelsea for a lot of his career," Lampard explained. "I think circumstances, his contract situation... I know he's got a big love for Chelsea. But in the modern day, more than in my day, players do move.
"I would have liked to see him stay at Chelsea, because I think he would have been central to it, but it didn't happen."
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This article was originally published on 90min as Frank Lampard gives honest thoughts on Mason Mount's move to Man Utd.
