Walking out onto the Old Trafford pitch is a special moment for all players, but it must be magical for those Manchester United stars who can call it their home.
Many have gone on to succeed, while others have had a not-so-successful time at the club, with a player's first impression often remembered by the United faithful.
Erik ten Hag hasn’t had a tremendous amount of luck with his signings, with every signing he’s made, bar Andre Onana, picking up at least one injury since joining.
However, there’s one player in particular who has had a troubled start to his Red Devils journey.
Mason Mount’s first impression
In the summer, Mason Mount was at the centre of a battle between Liverpool and Man United, with the huge rivals both eager to acquire his signature. As it proved, the Chelsea star turned his back on the Merseyside club to join the Red Devils, which already put him in the United faithful’s good book.
The fee, however, was rather steep, with the England international setting Ten Hag back by £60m, which both raised eyebrows and excited those involved with United, especially when he was handed the iconic number seven shirt.
Former United icon John O’Shea was personally a huge fan of the signing, stating to talkSPORT: “It’s a fantastic addition and he will add to the goals in terms of creating and scoring them himself too”
Whereas content creator Mark Goldbridge wasn’t quite as convinced by the signing of Mount after watching him in the first two games of the season:
“Ten Hag has got to make this Mount signing work. Right now, it just looks baffling and damaging to what we were building last season.”
Mason Mount’s season so far
Prior to his arrival at United, Mount was Chelsea through and through, playing 195 games for his boyhood club, scoring 33 goals and providing 37 assists, so it was quite a shock to see him depart Stamford Bridge.
Back in 2021, United legend Roy Keane spoke extremely highly of the 25-year-old, comparing him to Red Devils great Paul Scholes:
“The way he plays the game, almost like Paul Scholes, plays like a kid on the street, it all comes very easy for him. Good first touch, seems an honest kid, he has a goal in him, he has an assist.”
Fast forward to today, and Mount has yet to show that for his new club after enduring a rough spell. The midfielder has only played eight Premier League matches for United, starting four, with 50% of those being the first two matches of the season.
Since then, he has been unavailable for most of the campaign, with writer Casey Evans calling him the “new Donny van de Beek,” who is now on loan at Eintracht Frankfurt.
First Impressions
What did pundits and fans alike think about their new star signing when they arrived? Football FanCast's 'First Impressions' series has everything you need.
As with Mount – who has typically operated in an attacking midfield role in his career to date – the Dutchman found it difficult to find a place for himself in the United side, with the presence of a certain Bruno Fernandes denying him regular game time.
Prior to his January exit, the former Ajax man – who signed on a £35m deal back in 2020 – had scored just twice in 62 games in all competitions, having never really recovered from a slow start to life in Manchester, in which he started just four league games in his debut season.
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Unknown
16
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6
22/23
Pelvic
7
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5
22/23
Knock
1
Mount could be set to follow a similar path, with two injuries having seen him miss 22 matches already this season, and his return date seems to keep being pushed back by Ten Hag.
The one-time Derby County loanee has become the forgotten man, but his injury troubles over last season in particular should have sent warning signs to the recruitment team at Old Trafford, alongside the fact that his last start for Chelsea was almost a year ago.
In truth, it’s still extremely early in Mount’s United career, and he has plenty of time to turn things around, but his first impression has been far from the one eagerly anticipated in the summer.
