“First touch and shoot!” – Mount talks through decision to shoot from distance as Manchester United reach Europa League final | OneFootball

Mason Mount was the unlikely hero for Manchester United as the Red Devils stunned Athletic Club on Thursday to reach the UEFA Europa League final.

Leading by three goals after the first leg, United found themselves trailing on the night at Old Trafford after Mikel Jauregizar’s first-half strike – and when their Basque opponents emerged from the break as the stronger side, Ruben Amorim made a plethora of changes.

One of those saw Mason Mount enter the fray, with the midfielder making his mark after just ten minutes on the pitch.

The 26-year-old picked out the bottom corner in the 72nd minute to spark a sensational comeback, before adding United’s fourth and final goal of the night inside stoppage time when he spotted an open goal and took full advantage.

Speaking to TNT Sports after United’s progression to the final was confirmed, Mount praised a “brilliant performance from all the lads over the two legs.”

“We knew it was going to be difficult at the beginning of the game; they were going to come and attack us. We weathered the storm and obviously getting that first goal to make it 1-1 calmed us down a little bit.”

It’s fair to say that Mount’s time in Manchester certainly hasn’t panned out the way the midfielder would have hoped, and he accepted that “it’s been difficult since I’ve been here, I’ve had the injuries and the setbacks but I’ve stayed positive and knew something good was going to come.”

“I carried on going and obviously tonight it’s paid off in the semi-final,” he explained to TNT Sports, adding that he was “working hard in training every day and trying to stay positive. When I had the opportunity like this to come on in the games, just trying to make an impact and today, as I said, it paid off.”

On his stunning injury-time goal, Mount commented: “As I see [the goalkeeper] come out, I was in front of my midfielder. So I just had it in my head, if it comes to me, first touch and shoot! Didn’t mean to go with my left foot, but I just had to get good contact because I saw the defender was quite far away from the goal, so just to try and get it on target really.”

“And [it was] the same with my first one – it’s just instinctual, just trying to get the ball, turn, create half a yard and hit the back of the net.”

Manchester United face Spurs in the UEFA Europa League final at Bilbao’s San Mamés on Wednesday 21 May.