Ashley Cole is confident Mason Mount has the 'mentality' to become a 'top player' under Frank Lampard at Chelsea.
Mount shone under Lampard at Derby County last season, scoring 11 goals in 44 appearances, and the 20-year-old has picked up where he left in Chelsea colours this term.
The midfielder has started all four of Chelsea's opening matches in the Premier League, finding the net against both Leicester and Norwich, and made his senior debut for England versus Bulgaria earlier this month.
Lampard has also shown tremendous faith in Chelsea academy graduate Tammy Abraham following the striker's impressive loan spell with Aston Villa last term.
Former Chelsea left-back Cole shared a dressing room with Mount at Derby last season and has backed the youngster to thrive under Lampard's guidance.
'Obviously I had the pleasure to play with him at Derby last season and, for me, he was our best and main player,' Cole said.
'He's definitely matured and improved from the time I saw him with Chelsea's Under-9s. It's down to him now.
'He's a player that always comes into training early, he gives 100 per cent in training and, for me, that's what you need to be a top player is a great mentality and he has that.
'It's down to him if he wants to work hard and improve under Frank and, of course, he's going to get chances.'
Declan Rice, who has been close with Mount since their time together in Chelsea's academy, believes Lampard will get the get the best out of the midfielder.
'I'm not surprised at all [with his form],' the West Ham star said.
'I've said to loads of people, he could score in every game if he wanted to.
'I can tell he's training with Frank and they're working really well because he's like a second striker, making those runs which Lampard used to do.
'He's going to keep doing that at Chelsea for years.'
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