Mount deserves a bit of luck

It is not always easy navigating through interviews with players who have spent a lot of time out injured.

They tend not to want to focus on what has gone and instead look forward, which can be frustrating as a journalist because the human insight of a professional athlete not being able to do what they are so good at can be captivating.

Mason Mount touched on his injury record - but he also wanted to look ahead.

Yet the thing that struck me most about Mount was what a likeable lad he is.

He joked initially about walking straight past the four of us waiting to speak to him at Old Trafford last week as he had a TV interview to do, then when he came back he had a smile on his face as he said Ruben Amorim wouldn't be long and we would need to get off to speak to him.

There was no edge to Mount. The conversation didn't feel stilted. He said what he wanted to about his injury situation and steered the chat into areas he wanted to discuss.

There have been a lot of cruel jibes about Mount since he joined Manchester United. He knows he has done very little to justify the £55m United paid for him.

But it is not that long ago he was starring for England and Chelsea. He has huge ability.

We don't know whether Bilbao will be a day of glory or sadness for Mount and his team-mates.

However, I hope in the coming months we do get to see more of what he is capable of.