Former Argentine star Andrés D'Alessandro admitted to being a childhood idol for Chelsea England midfielder Mason Mount, who is delighted and said he would swap his national team shirt for that of a young Blues if he had the chance.
In 2006, Darlesandro came to Portsmouth on loan from Wolfsburg and spent an unforgettable 6 months in the Premier League, where his possession talent helped Portsmouth avoid relegation to the Championship.
Although the play was short-lived, it was enough to attract the attention of a Pompeii fan with great prospects.
"I'm proud!"
Mount, who joined chelsea's youth team at the age of 5, remains an avid follower of his hometown team, receiving a shirt signed by his idol D'Alessandro on his 10th birthday, and now he is eager to see the Argentine's signature appear on the Blues shirt.
'Andres D'Alessandro was one of the players I got the shirt and I framed it and hung it on the wall. He later told the FA's official website.
'I always liked him when he played football, even though he only played for half a season.'
"Really? This makes me very proud! D'Alessandro, 40, currently plays for Uruguayan giants.
"Of course (I'll sign him a shirt) and I'd love to. I'll swap shirts with him and I'll swap my national shirt for his Chelsea shirt. I would be proud and honored to have his jersey. ”
"I saw him because I watched English football and he was a player with huge potential. Obviously, he's still young, but he's shown his great talent, a player who can use both feet flexibly, fast and able to score goals. I hope he can continue to grow. He's at one of the best clubs in the world and if he's there, there's a reason for that, but I can see he has amazing ability and potential for sustained growth. ”
England or Germany?
On Tuesday, D'Alessandro played for both England and Germany, both of which will compete in the round of 16 of the European Cup.
Mount, who was quarantined after contact with Scottish player Billy Gilmore, who was infected with COVID-19, is still in doubt, but the Argentine has refused to pick a promotion team and he hopes the Blues star will have a positive impact.
"I'll go see it if I can, and I've watched all the European Cup games. Germany may be slower to get into the game than England, but that doesn't mean anything in the knockout rounds, both teams are world-class teams with stars from various clubs, and the game is likely to be wonderful. ”
"Hopefully the best team wins, I have no preference. I want Mason to score goals, let's cheer him on, we'll support Mason and I want him to play well. ”