Mason Mount made his senior debut in England’s 1000th game, against Montenegro in 2019
(Picture: Getty Images)Mason Mount was so confident of his footballing skills as a child that he told teachers he was going to play for England — and now they hope he’ll lift the World Cup.
Headteacher Paul Foxley described the Three Lions midfielder, 23, as “hard-working and disciplined” at Purbrook Park School in Waterlooville, Hampshire.
“Mason was always a polite and pleasant young man,” Mr Foxley said. “He knew he was going to be a great player and that he would represent England. And he was willing to do whatever it took to get there. He was never late with his homework even though he had the demands of football. That’s what set him apart.”
Pupils were given an early lunch so they could watch Mount play a major role in England’s first game of the tournament, a 6-2 thrashing of Iran.
They will be tuning in tonight when the Three Lions take on Wales in the “Battle of Britain” group decider. Chelsea star Mount visited Purbrook Park last November and his photo hangs in the school corridor.
Mr Foxley said: “The pupils know who Mason is and he got a lovely reaction when he visited. He did some football training with them and signed autographs. Mason was very generous with his time.
“When word spread he was here, we had three- and four-year-olds from the local primary school come up in the cold. But he waited for them because he didn’t want their journey to have been for nothing.”
He added: “Football is really strong here and Mason certainly inspired them to play well. Our Year 11 team won the Hampshire Cup last year. We’re really proud of Mason and want to see him go on and win the World Cup.”
Mount was born in Portsmouth to Debbie and Tony, a former non-league footballer.
From the age of four he spent a day a week training with Portsmouth FC before joining Chelsea’s academy, which meant he couldn’t play for his school as often as he’d liked.
