Declan Rice and Mason Mount could soon be living a dream most young children can only fantasise about.
Both Chelsea fans and products of the famous academy, the two peas could soon be back in the pod as the West Ham man is being linked with a return to the club he joined as an eight year old, according to Sky Sports.
The duo met at as a pair of eight year olds at Chelsea’s academy 12 years ago and have been tied at the hip since.
Rice was released by the Blues when he was just 14 and it looked as though the pair’s dreams of playing senior football together were fading.
West Ham made the move for Rice while Mount was kept on the books at Chelsea.
Despite the London clubs’ passionate rivalry, the two midfielders stayed close throughout their adolescence as Mount recently told Goal, “He was one of my best mates at Chelsea, but we have always kept in contact. We keep in contact now and speak to each other almost every day.”
Over the years both of the midfielders captained various youth sides and were both seen as some of their club’s most promising talents.
But while Chelsea, as they so often do, loaned Mount to Derby last season, Rice became one of West Ham’s main men and was arguably the biggest breakthrough player in the Premier League last season.
Surely proud of his mate’s achievements, Mount also had something of a revelation last season under Frank Lampard at Derby.
The 21-year-old scored 11 and assisted six in all competitions as The Rams fell short of promotion in the play-off final.
The pair’s friendship was broadcast across the internet last summer as Mount and Rice were holidaying in Dubai.
They took a boat out for the day and while Rice was taking a little siesta, the Chelsea man scared the daylights out of Rice and was kind enough to post the video online.
True friendship right there.
Rice’s breakthrough season earned him a call up to the England squad after he changed allegiances, having played for all of Ireland’s youth teams and making three appearances for the senior side.
Mount has also been called up to the senior squad this season and the pair played together against Kosovo back in November with the Chelsea man scoring the last of the four goals that night.
Having played together for England, the next step in this amazing story would be for the pair to link up at the club where it all began for them.
Rice is currently being linked with Chelsea but you can be sure he wouldn’t be cheap, especially considering the club’s rivalry.
But as a pair of best friends, should the move go through, it would fulfil a pair of childhood dreams.