Mason Mount is hoping to lead Chelsea to a fourth successive FA Youth Cup title on Wednesday evening and collect a second medal for himself.
The England Under-19s midfielder was part of the Blues team who beat Manchester City in last year’s Final at Stamford Bridge and is now captain as they prepare for the second leg on their home patch.
And the stakes are exactly the same as last year too, as the tie is all square after a 1-1 draw at City’s Academy Stadium last week following on from the same first-leg result in 2016 when Mount was Chelsea’s goalscorer.
“It will be a similar experience and I think there are six of us in this squad who played last year,” Mount explained to the official FA Youth Cup Final match programme.
“So we will hopefully be able to use what we learned and help the younger lads who haven’t been involved in the Final before.
“It’s a massive game and one we are really looking forward to playing.”
Chelsea have been the dominant club in The FA Youth Cup over the last decade, featuring in their sixth successive Final this term and aiming to win it for the fourth year running.
And having been in the club’s academy ranks since he was six, the Portsmouth-born schemer knows how much emphasis is placed on the players’ development and their winning mentality.
“From an early age, that winning mentality is always drilled into us,” he revealed.
“Whenever we go into a tournament we always want to win and that comes from the coaching.
“With the Youth Cup, being in the Final so many times in recent years, shows that we are massive winners, so hopefully we can do that again - it is huge for the club.”
You can read the full interview with Mason in the official programme which will be on sale around Stamford Bridge on Wednesday, or click here to order your copy.
