(Reuters) -Manchester United coach Ruben Amorim had glowing praise for Mason Mount after he came off the bench to score twice in the 4-1 win over Athletic Bilbao on Thursday which sealed their place in the Europa League final.
Second-half substitute Mount scored the equaliser for United just 10 minutes after coming on, and struck again in added time as the hosts secured a 7-1 aggregate win and a place in the final against Tottenham Hotspur.
The England midfielder joined United in 2023 but has struggled with several injuries this season, including a head injury in September that kept him out for over a month and a muscle issue in December that sidelined him until March.
The 26-year-old scored his first Premier League goal of the season in Sunday's 4-3 loss at Brentford, before becoming the first United substitute to score twice in a European knockout match since David Beckham against Real Madrid in 2003.
"I’m so happy for him. He is such a player. He works really hard, he has quality," Amorim said at his post-match press conference.
"When you see that kind of guy like Mason working hard every day, eating well, having ice baths, when you have this kind of player you just want to help him.
"He is perfect for this position as he can be a midfielder, but also runs like a winger."
Forward Rasmus Hojlund, who scored United's third, said Mount had worked hard to overcome multiple injuries and did not deserve the criticism he had received.
"He's been getting a lot of stick because he's had a couple of injuries, but he's always been positive, trying to help and trying to get fit all the time," he told TNT Sports.
"He's only had one goal, to get back on the pitch and ... do what he did today."
United face Spurs in the Europa League final on May 21 at San Mames Stadium in Bilbao, the home ground of Athletic.
(Reporting by Chiranjit Ojha in Bengaluru; Editing by Peter Rutherford)
