Gary Neville felt Chelsea sensation Mason Mount is the key link for England at the European Championships.
Speaking on The Overlap, Neville was signing the praise of Mount’s importance to Gareth Southgate’s system.
The 22-year-old started England’s victory against Croatia on Sunday and enjoyed a quietly excellent performance.
Kalvin Phillips rightly earned majority of the plaudits, but Mount’s relentless work was also crucial to the Three Lions win.
Southgate’s side looked settled and confident, which is a good sign heading into the seismic Scotland clash on Friday.
Mount ahead of Grealish
One player who missed out on the weekend was Jack Grealish, who may find it tricky to retain his place in the starting line-up.
Neville questioned whether the Aston Villa captain could get back in ahead of Mount, such is the status of Chelsea’s young midfielder.
“Would I play him in front of Mason Mount at the moment? No, because I think Mason Mount connects the team,” said the former Manchester United defender.
“He is the glue of the team. I think the midfield and the attack are joined together by him.
“I think he is defensively dependable, in terms of what he did yesterday getting back in helping (Declan) Rice and Philips in midfield.
“I thought what he did was an unsung job.”
Mason the man for all scenarios
Mount’s roles for club and country are almost identical.
He moves seamlessly between the lines, linking the offensive phases together.
But the work he does towards his own goal cannot be overlooked either.
Both Southgate and Thomas Tuchel have recognised how vital Mount is for their respective teams.
It also says plenty about his talents that he is selected ahead of several of his superstar colleges.
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