Erik ten Hag handed Mason Mount the iconic No.7 shirt at Manchester United - after telling him he can handle the pressure that comes with it.
Mount completed his £55million move from Chelsea on Wednesday, rising to £60m with add-ons, signing a five-year contract with the option of an extra year. The England midfielder will earn £250,000-a-week, with Ten Hag's decision to hand him the No.7 shirt proof of his firm belief in the 24-year-old.
Past wearers of the No.7 at United include Old Trafford legends George Best, Bryan Robson, Eric Cantona, David Beckham and Cristiano Ronaldo. But Ten Hag has no qualms about Mount following in their footsteps, after it emerged the United boss personally handed him the famous number.
Mount will begin pre-season training with his new United team-mates on Thursday and could make his debut next Wednesday in Oslo in a friendly against Leeds. Ten Hag ended United's six-year wait for a trophy with last season's League Cup win and Mount said he has already set his sights on helping the club win more silverware.
Reflecting on the new chapter of his career, Mount said: “It’s never easy leaving the club where you grew up, but Manchester United will provide an exciting new challenge for the next phase of my career.
“Having competed against them, I know just how strong a squad it is that I’m joining and I can’t wait to be part of this group’s drive to win major trophies. Everyone can see that the club has made big steps forward under Erik ten Hag.
“Having met with the manager and discussed his plans, I couldn’t be more excited for the seasons ahead and am ready for the hard work expected here.
“I'm hugely ambitious. I know how amazing it feels to win major trophies and what it takes to do it. I will be giving everything to experience that again at Manchester United.”
United beat Arsenal and Chelsea - who made a new contract offer - by signing Mount, with Ten Hag convincing him to join the club after outlining the key role he envisaged for him and his long-term vision for the club. Ten Hag made Mount his first-choice midfield target because of the midfielder's dynamic, high-energy approach and technical quality, allied to his experience of winning trophies at Chelsea.
United Football Director John Murtough said: “Mason is an extremely intelligent footballer and has so many fantastic technical qualities that will significantly add to our squad.
“We have admired his talents for a long time, so we're delighted that he has chosen to take the next steps in his career here at Old Trafford. His style of play and attributes are a perfect fit for this squad and we all believe that he will only improve further working with Erik ten Hag and his coaching staff.
“We were particularly impressed by his strong desire to join United and his thirst for further success, as we push to drive up our performance levels next season and beyond.”
