JAKARTA - Former Argentine national team star Andres D'Alessandro admits he is very happy to be idolized by Chelsea midfielder Mason Mount. He promised to swap his Nacional jersey for Mount's Blues shirt if the opportunity arose.
D'Alessandro spent six months in the Premier League with Portsmouth in 2006 on loan from Wolfsburg. The playmaker successfully helped the club avoid relegation to the Championship.
Although D'Aessandro's spell in England was brief, it was enough to catch the attention of a young Pompey fan with a big future ahead of him.
When Mount joined Chelsea's academy at the age of five, he remained a loyal follower of his hometown team. And on his 10th birthday, Mount received a jersey signed by his idol D'Alessandro. Now, he wants a new jersey signed by D'Alessandro.
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"Andres D'Alessandro is one of those players whose jersey I got, and I put it on my wall," he later told the FA's official website.
"He is a player I always loved when he played, even though it was only half a season."
Hearing the recognition of Mount who became Chelsea's star in the Champions League last season, D'Allesandro said he was flattered.
"Really? That makes me very proud!" The 40-year-old, who now plays for Uruguayan giants Nacional, said when told by Goal of Mount's admiration for him.
"Of course (I would sign a jersey for him), I would be happy. I would swap jerseys with him, I would trade Nacional jerseys for his Chelsea shirts. It would make me proud, it would be a pleasure to have his shirt.
"I've seen him because I watch English football, he's a player with great potential. "Obviously he's young but he's shown he's got incredible talent, a player who can use both feet, he's fast, he scores goals. I hope he continues to grow. He's at one of the best clubs in the world, if he's there, there's a reason, but I can see he has incredible ability and the potential to keep improving."
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