Mason Mount CAN turn around his Man United career, claims Ruben Amorim – as the Red Devils boss hails the midfielder and labels him a 'proper footballer'

One of the first images of Ruben Amorim at Manchester United was the new head coach hugging Mason Mount in the gym at the training ground.

Amorim had only been in the building five minutes and already he was showing Mount more love than he got from Erik ten Hag in a year and a half at United.

It’s been a difficult period in Mount’s career since moving to Old Trafford from Chelsea where he was a Champions League winner in 2021.

Were it not for Antony’s £86million transfer fee from Ajax, Mount’s £60m price tag might have warranted even greater scrutiny.

The return on United’s investment has been negligible. Just 28 appearances – including seven Premier League starts – bringing one goal and one assist. A series of injuries have held him back, notably a calf muscle tear this time last year which kept him out for more than four months.

Mount turns 26 in January and should be in his prime as a footballer, but his career at United has drifted and his England progress has stalled. He hasn’t played for his country since the World Cup quarter-final defeat to France in Qatar almost two years ago.

One of Amorim’s first interactions with his players saw him hug Mount at the training ground

Amorim insisted that the 26-year-old can turn around his United career and return to his best

So when Amorim walked through the door at Carrington during the international break, Mount was one of the first faces he saw.

Since then, the new boss has singled out Mount above all as the kind of player who can prosper in his 3-4-3 system. The two slots either side of the centre-forward certainly appear to suit an attacking midfielder more than the conventional wingers at United who must learn to adapt or even re-invent themselves as wing-backs.

After coming on as a late substitute in Amorim’s first game at Ipswich last weekend, Mount started the Europa League tie against Bodo/Glimt on Thursday night and helped set up the decisive goal in a 3-2 win with a clever flick.

He may well return to the bench against Everton at Old Trafford on Sunday as Amorim rotates again, but the head coach’s admiration of Mount’s talent and desire to turn around his United career is plain to see.

‘The first thing is he’s working really hard, and then you have to understand the human also – he wants this really badly,’ said Amorim.

‘That is the most important thing. He has proven to all of you that he is a talented player. He was a European champion.

‘So we believe a lot in him. He has to stay fit. He did a great job (against Bodo/Glimt). I felt that we pressed a little bit higher and Mason did 60 minutes with high intensity.

‘You see in some moments and details that Mason Mount is a proper footballer. So we believe a lot in him, especially we believe a lot in Mason Mount.’

With that belief, and a little bit of love, Amorim clearly hopes that United can still see the best of Mason Mount.