He cost Man United $69 million and took Cristiano Ronaldo’s No7 jersey – then things went wrong

MANCHESTER, England (AP) - Mason Mount joined Manchester United as a rising star of English soccer. He was handed Cristiano Ronaldo’s iconic jersey and was expected to be part of a bold rebuild of one of the biggest franchises in sport.

Then things went badly wrong.

"It has been difficult, but I have learned a lot from these moments," said Mount ahead of United’s Europa League final against Tottenham in Bilbao on Wednesday.

A slew of injuries of injuries has limited the midfielder to just 12 Premier League starts in two seasons since his $69 million move from Chelsea in 2023.

In that time he’s had to watch on as United’s onfield decline has continued at an alarming rate, with the 20-time English champion certain to end this season with its lowest points total and league position in the Premier League era.

The Europa League, however, presents an unlikely chance to salvage a historically bad campaign with a major trophy and entry into next season’s Champions League.

For Mount, who has returned to fitness and form in recent weeks, it is the sort of opportunity he has craved after two years of pain and frustration at Old Trafford.

For United, it is simply a lifeline.

"As a group, we know the situation we are in. We know the league is not good enough and we have not been good enough in that, but the Europa League is something that we look forward to as a final," Mount said. "We won't forget about what we have done in the league and our league form.

“This is a final. If we can win it, it can be a positive end to a tough season."

The final is reward for the long hours of rehab work the 26-year-old Mount has put in at United’s Carrington training base to overcome a succession of setbacks including calf and hamstring injuries.

He has made only nine starts across all competitions this season, with three of those coming this month.

"It is not always easy. I have had many days at Carrington sitting on the treatment bed where I want to be training." he said. "I have been in the stand watching games where I want to be playing.

"I give everything to continue my rehab to try to get back and be back as quickly as possible. That was always on my mind.”

Mount’s difficulties at United have been in stark contrast to his time at Chelsea, where he was treated as a hero after rising through its academy and providing the assist for Kai Havertz's winning goal in the Champions League final of 2021.

He became a key part of England's squad, which was runner up at the Euros that year, and started the final against Italy at Wembley.

It was a measure of how highly United regarded Mount that he was handed the No7 jersey worn by club greats Eric Cantona, David Beckham and Ronaldo.

But instead of going on to create his own memorable moments with the famous number on his back, Mount has watched as United’s plummeting form cost former manager Erik ten Hag his job and left current coach Ruben Amorim to preside over the club's worst campaign in Premier League history.

In recent weeks, however, Mount has shown flashes of the ability that convinced United to sign him - not least his two goals against Athletic Bilbao in the semifinals of the Europa League.

His second, a shot from just past the halfway line, was befitting of the number he wears.

"I want to score goals, I want to have them moments," he said. "I just haven't had a lot of opportunities to do that, so any time I'm on the pitch I want to show them what I can do. I want to create chances for my teammates and win games and win trophies.

"I always had the end goal in my mind that it would come good and something will happen and I'll get a moment where I'll score a few goals or something will happen."

And where as United has struggled to fill the No7 jersey since Ronaldo first left Old Trafford in 2009, Mount remains convinced he can handle the pressure.

"It was a massive, massive honor (to be given it). Obviously I knew before joining what legends have worn the shirt and what it means to the club," he said. "As soon as I knew that there was a possibility of me wearing it, I was never going to turn it down. I always wanted to take that opportunity. It's not been easy up to this point, but I think I'm building."

The Europa League final is the chance for United and Tottenham to put their woeful domestic campaigns behind them.

United is 16th in the 20-team standings - one place above Spurs.

But the winner of the final will gain entry to the lucrative Champions League alongside Europe's top teams.

Mount knows the highs and the lows of playing in major finals and is determined to ensure he and his teammates don't blow their big chance.

He went from the top of the world to rock bottom within the space of a few weeks in 2021 - winning the Champions League with Chelsea before losing the European Championship final with England on penalties.

Both experiences left lasting impressions.

"The losses are hard," he said. "They stick with you for a long time. But when you do win, you realise that feeling and you always want that feeling when you are playing in finals.”

And Mount also wants to give something back to the fans after such a chastening campaign in which United has lost 18 league games, its worst tally since the 1973-74 season.

"Winning the final might not solve everything, but it will give them something to cheer about and it's a trophy," he said. "Hopefully we can do that and be proud of it. The league form, we're not happy with. It's something we need to work on to do that for them."