You can't say Mason Mount doesn't have a sense of humour.
There was the time he scared good pal and England teammate Declan Rice half to death while the midfielder was sleeping. And after Derby County beat Leeds United in the 2019 Championship play-off semi-finals, Mount posted 'I spy with my little eye, something beginning with W,' on social media in relation to the 'Spygate' incident between the two clubs.
So Mount and Leeds have history. And the soon-to-be Manchester United midfielder could make his Reds debut against the Elland Road side. Erik ten Hag's side kick off their pre-season preparations against the Whites in Oslo next week.
Mount, who will join for an initial £55million from Chelsea, is expected to feature and renew his rivalry with Leeds.
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It began in that 2019 Championship campaign when Marcelo Bielsa's Leeds were caught spying on Derby's training sessions. Come the season's end, the pair were up against each other in the play-offs.
Then-Rams boss Frank Lampard had signed Mount on loan from Chelsea and the midfielder helped inspire a turnaround for Derby, who roared back from a two-goal aggregate deficit to dump Leeds out at Elland Road. Mount was among the scorers and led the celebrations, mocking the Leeds supporters who had gleefully sung about Lampard 'crying' in the wake of the spying row.
Mount and his teammates pretended to have binoculars during the celebrations before the now-England regular posted his cheeky Tweet. Derby lost the play-off final to Aston Villa but Mount returned to Stamford Bridge and became a Premier League regular.
And he thwarted Leeds again in 2022 with a goal and a man-of-the-match performance in a 3-0 away win for the Blues. Again, he poked fun at the Elland Road fans after scoring, raising his hands to cup his ears to the crowd in celebration.
It's hard to take any of that too seriously. Indeed Mount said after the game that the Leeds fans were 'brilliant' and he loved playing at Elland Road.
But one thing is for sure, those travelling to Oslo from Yorkshire probably won't give him a warm welcome if and when he steps onto the pitch in the Red of United.
