Former Chelsea midfielder Gus Poyet has compared Mason Mount to manager Frank Lampard and himself, and predicted he can be a key player for the Blues in the future. 

Per Goal's Nizaar Kinsella, Poyet identified Mount as a goalscoring midfielder who makes late runs into the box, a hallmark of his and Lampard's approach to the game when they were players:

"He's similar to Frank and me. Mount has the personality, despite being young, to be a very important player in midfield.

"He accepts responsibility, he listens to what's needed and he's a leader in the first press. He recovered a few balls, he's scored a few and he won a penalty from pressing, too.

"He has the mentality that Frank wants, he goes and produces. People sometimes only look at goals but not at the first line of the press or the aggression or the understanding. I like the way he finds positions around the box as well."

The Uruguayan said Mount's positioning and timing has helped him perform well in the Premier League, where he's facing defenders of a higher calibre than he did in the Championship.

"Can you coach that?" he added. "No. It's all about timing your moment. The ball goes one way and you have to guess where it will be. He always gets into those positions, and it's not easy. People need to understand that it isn't luck."

Mount spent last season working under Lampard on loan at Derby County, with whom he contributed 11 goals and six assists in 44 appearances.

The 20-year-old has been given his first senior opportunities at Chelsea by the manager this season.

He has made 11 appearances in all competitions, starting all of their Premier League and UEFA Champions League fixtures. In that time, he has scored four times and assisted once.

He has perhaps been unfortunate not to record more assists:

Mount's form led to him making his England debut in September, and he has been involved in all four of their matches over the last two international breaks.

His first start for the Three Lions came in their 2-1 defeat to Czech Republic, and on what was a difficult night he offered slightly more than his team-mates, per football statistician Dave O'Brien:

Mount is also among the nominees for the 2019 Golden Boy award, though he'll face some stiff competition for it:

The midfielder has taken to top-flight football well this season, having grasped an opportunity he otherwise may not have had if Chelsea had not had a transfer ban in the summer and Lampard were not as invested in giving young players a chance.

He's already a regular starter for the Blues, and his importance to the side will only increase as he develops his game and becomes more experienced.

Lampard made almost 650 appearances for Chelsea and became their all-time top-scorer with 211 goals, so it's too early to compare Mount to him without piling undue pressure on his shoulders.

He's a talented player in a similar mould, though, and Blues supporters will be excited to see how he develops in the coming years.