Mason Mount feels his occasional captaincy at Chelsea will only further help him develop as a leader, after capping off a superb season with a Champions League victory.
The 22-year-old, the Blues' Player of the Year, has blossomed under Frank Lampard and Thomas Tuchel this term, with the reward of the armband for the FA Cup clash with Luton in January.
Linking up with England ahead of Euro 2020, Mount has acknowledged the honour only inspires him further and that he is delighted to have the opportunity to continue building his leadership skills.
What has been said?
"I’ve had the captain’s armband twice now and that gives me extra confidence," the winger told Chelsea's official website. "I have that belief that I’m doing well but I can also get even better. That’s something as a player that you need to really improve.
"I’m learning more and more about that role. I had it when I was a bit younger in the youth teams where I was captain a couple of times."
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Mount draws upon former Blues heroes
The 22-year-old looks at those who have previously held the armband at Stamford Bridge, such as John Terry, adding the insight into those qualities helps him put what he needs to do into perspective when called upon by his managers.
"When you reach the senior game, you can still be someone that leads by example but you can’t just be that," he said.
"You need to bring more to the team and as a captain at a big club like this, to have that personality and vocalness around the boys really helps.
"You look at the players in the past who have been top players and legends of this club, captains that you can try and take things off. That’s something I’ve always looked at growing up and I still look at now."
The bigger picture
England fans will hope that Mount's form under Tuchel will translate to the international arena, where Gareth Southgate has long sung his praises.
Having sat out the two warm-up games for England on a Champions League-mandated break, he will be expected to feature in the Three Lions' opener at Wembley against Croatia.
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