“I try to base my free-kicks on [Cristiano] Ronaldo,” says a young Mason Mount in a video recorded during his time in the Chelsea academy, his long hair flowing in the wind on one of the training pitches at Cobham. “Hit the ball by the valve and it moves. That’s all you do."
You've probably seen the clip recorded several years ago by the Blues' in-house media. But for those that haven't, Mount then proceeds to expertly fire a free-kick over his pre-teenage teammates in the youth ranks and into the top corner. It is the perfect dead-ball strike.
Plenty has changed in the years since. Mount has risen through the academy ranks, been to Vitesse and Derby County on loan, come back and established himself in the Chelsea first-team, and become a Champions League winner in the process. He has also proved himself to be one of the finest players in the Premier League.
