Chelsea manager Thomas Tuchel is pleased to be working with Mason Mount, and believes there is no limit on his potential after his starring role in the 1-0 win away at Tottenham.
The 22-year-old operated across two roles, beginning as a number 10 before swapping position with Timo Werner, who played as one of two central strikers.
Although Jorginho's penalty proved the difference, Mount was widely praised for his exciting display at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on Thursday night.
Having been the most selected player under Frank Lampard, many believed his progress might stagnate under Tuchel, but the German has been impressed with his attacking midfielder.
"I don’t want to put a limit on his development," Tuchel told reporters after the match. "It is obvious he has a lot of potential, he is a great footballer and super nice guy, eager to learn, hungry to win, open-minded and, for that, I think that for him, he can perform for any manager.
"He really means it; he has this internal motivation and a nice guy with a big personality. What more can you wish for? He’s top."
Chelsea dominated for 75 minutes but had a nervy last 15, having not found the second goal against Jose Mourinho's side.
Tuchel spoke about Mount's new role and how he needs to keep striving to improve amid competition from Kai Havertz and Hakim Ziyech.
"We played Mason as number nine, dropping to a 10 with two wide strikers, to find Mason space between the lines and he did well," he added.
"We watched the team and under Frank, he was a regular starter and there was no doubt that he’s a team player and has the potential that he has. We didn’t choose him for the first game because we opted for a slightly different profile on the two number 10 positions for the first game.
"When he came in he showed what a big influence he can also have from the bench and from here there are no guarantees for anybody, also not for Mason right now. It is easy with him. He leaves his heart on the pitch, but everybody else does the same thing.
"It is a team effort and Mason is the first to agree on that and to behave like that. This is what we need. Is there room to improve? Yes. Is there a lot of room? Yes, there is a lot of room to improve also for him and there are no gifts.
"He has to earn his place in every training and every match and the boy is a super nice guy and totally clear and he knows about it, he is a competitor and that is why we will keep on pushing him and the others."
It has been a positive start for Tuchel in west London with two wins and a draw since taking over from Lampard.
They next face a trip to Bramall Lane to face Sheffield United with the club now targeting a top-four finish, having hoped to compete for the title at the beginning of the season following a £220 million ($275m) transfer splurge.
Although he has already taken the team from 10th place to sixth, Tuchel is cautious about getting carried away about what might be possible this season.
"I cannot care less because I cannot influence other results and I cannot influence what the other teams do," he added. "I know there are too many teams between us and the Champions League places.
"It is maybe boring, and I can understand, but I simply know no other approach than to take it step by step and the most important thing is that we don’t lose the focus tomorrow and we care about the guys who were not on the pitch today.
"We have to take care of them tomorrow and to take care of our quality and atmosphere in the dressing room that we can compete again on Sunday."
