Thursday 5 September 2019 06:52, UK
Mason Mount says he is excited about the possibility of making his England bow alongside best friend Declan Rice.
The pair have been included in Gareth Southgate's squad for the European Qualifiers against Bulgaria and Kosovo where Mount, who joined up with the England squad in October last year without playing, could win his first senior international cap.
Mount and Rice played together in the Chelsea youth ranks before the latter was released by the Blues when he was just 14. However, he joined West Ham and has since gone on to be a regular for club and country.
Following an impressive start to his own Premier League career under Frank Lampard at Chelsea, Mount has earned another call-up to the senior national side where he hopes to get the chance to once again play alongside his friend.
"That's something we've spoken about for a long, long time," Mount said. "Being very, very close friends with him that's something we've always looked forward to maybe happening in the future. Obviously speaking together with him, that's very exciting.
''We're very, very close and have known each other for a long time. We've always spoken about that opportunity of maybe playing with each other again.
"Playing with each other at Chelsea at that young age, it was something special between us so we've always kept that hope of it maybe happening again."
Mount admits he was disappointed to see Rice leave Chelsea as they were coming through the ranks but has not been surprised at his rapid rise in the Premier League and on the international stage, which saw him make his England debut in March this year.
''Yeah of course [I was sad to see him go]. He was one of my closest friends. But as I said before - that's football and it happens," he said.
"He's bounced back and look what he's doing now. It's a credit to him and his mentality - that's what he's like as a boy: he doesn't let anything get him down, he always focused on achieving big things."
Mount said being involved in Southgate's squad for their Nations League games against Croatia and Spain last October gave him the "hunger" to earn another call-up to the senior side and revealed that it will be an emotional occasion for his family if selected.
"You always dream about that call-up - that start for England as a kid, so I've always dreamt of that," he said. "I'm looking forward to these next two games, so working hard in training to hopefully make that happen.
"Being in the squad last season, having a taste of being around the place and being with the first team gave me that extra hunger to go and want to be involved with the squad again, so it's a massive moment for me and I'm looking forward to these next two games.
"I think being at Chelsea, it's that different level. But coming here last season, being involved with the squad, learning how they work, I've been through the ages at England but when you get called up to the seniors it's a different level. So being here last season, working with them, knowing how they want to play and work has obviously helped me coming back last season."
He added: "It's such a proud moment, it's what you dream of for a very, very long time. You can't really have the words to describe that feeling of stepping out for your country, making your debut.
"It's such a massive moment for your family, for all the coaches that have worked with you in the past. So it's not just a massive moment for me but a massive moment for the people around me and people I've worked with before.
"It will be a very proud moment for me and there will probably be a few tears if I do get to make my debut. [My family] have been a massive part of my career so hopefully I can make my debut and they'll be very, very proud."
