These stories are samples pulled from external media sources. They do not represent the views or position of Chelsea Football Club.

Tomori on his ‘mad’ year

According to the Mirror, Fikayo Tomori can scarcely believe how matters have progressed for him in the past year as he has gone from playing on loan in the Championship to becoming a full England international.

The 21-year-old summed up his feelings after he made his senior debut for the Three Lions in Kosovo on Sunday.

‘It’s pretty mad,’ said the centre-back who spent last season at Derby County with Chelsea team-mate Mason Mount.

‘If you told me 12 months ago that I’d make my England debut, I’d probably have looked at you funny because it just seemed so far away

‘I think if you asked Mason the same question, I think he’d have been a bit, not weirded out, but a bit confused.

‘Obviously he got called up last year but the fact he’s played now and scored a goal, whereas 12 months ago he was in the Championship – it’s a crazy journey.’

While Tomori’s appearance in Pristina means he is no longer eligible to represent either Canada or Nigeria at international level, the defender said he had no doubt about his allegiance to England.

‘Once I got the call from England last month it was pretty much finalised, it was just about making my cap,’ said Tomori.

‘People still talked about the fact I hadn’t played and could still switch but it never really crossed my mind.

‘As a little kid you want to make your debut for England. To get into the squad was one thing but then your debut is another thing so obviously it was a very proud moment for me.’

Mikel on former team-mates’ work ethics in training

Speaking to BEin Sports in Turkey, former Chelsea midfielder John Mikel Obi has named Frank Lampard as his hardest-working former team-mate while pointing a finger at Eden Hazard as the least diligent in training.

The Nigerian, who is now playing for Turkish side Trabzonsport, replied without hesitation when he was asked to name the hardest working player he has played alongside.

‘Frank Lampard,’ said the 31-year-old, who played alongside the current Chelsea head coach for eight seasons from 2006 to 2014.

He also had little doubt when asked to name the team-mate who didn’t put in the strongest of efforts during training sessions.

‘The laziest player I have played alongside is Eden Hazard,’ he added.

‘Hazard has an incredible talent, maybe not as good as [Lionel] Messi, but he can do whatever he wants with the ball at his feet.

‘He didn't like to train hard. While we were working he was waiting for us to finish training just standing there. But on Sundays he was always man of the match, it was unbelievable.’

Collymore doesn’t want Mount to change

In his column in the Mirror, Stan Collymore has said Mason Mount needs to ignore his critics in order to fulfil his potential and become an England regular.

The former striker stated his admiration for the Chelsea midfielder after he watched him score his first goal for the Three Lions in the 4-0 win at Kosovo on Sunday.

‘Mason Mount isn’t far from being an automatic starter for England now and if he continues his -current trajectory, a big ¬summer lies ahead,’ said Collymore.

‘At 20, Mount is now at a pivotal point in his career and my hope is that he changes absolutely nothing about his game in the months and years ahead.

‘The key message to Mount is not to get confused and to just keep improving. He needs to continue ¬getting involved in play by running off a striker and ¬joining the attack when crosses are put into the box.

‘He is a phenomenal, classic box-to-box goal¬scoring ¬midfielder and we need to ¬encourage him to perfect that role.

‘Hopefully, Mount already knows the benchmarks he is working towards and for ¬Chelsea and England it’s vital nothing, or no one, blows him off course.’