Mason Mount has claimed the Premier League Academy Graduate award for 2020/21 following a stellar season with Chelsea.
Midfielder Mount emulates past winners Marcus Rashford and Trent Alexander-Arnold in claiming the award that recognises homegrown players aged 23 or under who have made the successful transition from Academy level to the Premier League.
He will also be hoping to add to the award win, having been nominated for the 2020/21 EA SPORTS Player of the Season and Hublot Young Player of the Season, which fans can vote on below until 18:00 BST on Thursday 3 June.
See: Vote for your EA SPORTS Player of the Season
See: Vote for your Hublot Young Player of the Season
"Congratulations to Mason on winning the Academy Graduate Award for the 2020/21 season," Neil Saunders, the Premier League's Head of Youth, said. "He is a deserving winner of the award.
"Mason is someone the whole of the Academy system can be proud of, and is a young man who will inspire the next generation of Academy players, both with his on-pitch performances and in the way he conducts himself away from the pitch.
"Having progressed through all age groups in the Chelsea Academy, Mason has developed into a key player for the club in the Premier League and capped off an exceptional season with the recent UEFA Champions League success. Mason is also now a regular for England and we are all excited to watch him play in UEFA Euro 2020 this summer.
"Congratulations also go to Neil Bath and the Academy staff at Chelsea who have supported and helped develop Mason on his journey."
Consistent performer
The accolade is awarded to individuals who excel in their on-pitch performances and who are inspirational role models off the pitch for future generations of Premier League players.
Mount has been at Chelsea since the age of six and signed at the Under-9 age group.
Following a breakthrough season in 2019/20, he established himself as a key figure under both Frank Lampard and Thomas Tuchel this campaign.
The 22-year-old missed only two Premier League matches and played more minutes than any team-mate as Chelsea finished fourth and reached the FA Cup final.
He ranked second at Chelsea for goals and assists in the Premier League, scoring six and setting up five, and it was his pass that led to Kai Havertz's winning effort in the UEFA Champions League final last Saturday.
Double delight
His Academy Graduate award completes a notable double as Mount was named Chelsea's 2020/21 Player of the Year, becoming the first product of their youth system to win the prize since John Terry in 2006.
Mount was one of seven nominees for the Academy Graduate award, along with Chelsea team-mate Reece James, Phil Foden (Manchester City), Mason Greenwood (Manchester United), Declan Rice (West Ham United), Bukayo Saka (Arsenal) and Luke Thomas (Leicester City).
Also in this series
Part 1: Man City's Delap named PL2 Player of the Season
Part 3: Jennings and Ashworth receive Eamonn Dolan award
Part 4: Best U18 and U23 goals and saves of the season
