Curzon keeper’s training session with United ace
CURZON Ashton goalkeeper Cam Mason has United’s new cult hero Odion Ighalo to thank, in a small way, for his inclusion in this month’s England C squad.
After arriving in Manchester with little match sharpness following his move from the Chinese Super League in January, Ighalo arranged a private training session.
Mason, who supports City, had a gym session planned before he got the call from his coach that the Nigerian was looking for a keeper to train with: “I’m not a very big lad so gym and me don’t really go, so I thought ‘yes, it’s better than the gym,” joked Mason.
“I thought it was going to be a bit slow with it being at night, on a community astroturf near the Etihad, but it wasn’t.
“It was really good, and he was really respectful to me, to the session and I really enjoyed it.
“I was really grateful for the opportunity.”
It is not the only opportunity Mason has been rewarded with after an impressive season that has seen him keep 11 clean sheets and sign a new contract with the club that he’s represented for six years.
In January the 24-year-old trained at United’s Carrington training base in a ‘coach the coaches’ session run by the FA where he was trained by former City keeper Shay Given and United’s Lee Grant.
“It was really good because you knew everybody was learning there, there was no pressure, it wasn’t a trial so you didn’t need to be nervous, it was just one of them do your best in the session,” said Mason.
“They said we worked really hard, but I think that’s a minimum requirement when you go and do something like that really.”
Hardworking and humble is how you would describe Mason, who became the first Curzon Ashton player to be included in an England C squad ahead of their game with Wales on March 24.
He will be the only goalkeeper on a part-time contract playing in the National League North, with the others drawn from the fulltime National League:
“I might not play a second, but I’m not bothered. I know some people would be but I’m not. I’m just happy to be recognised in the squad,” he told M.E.N. Sport
“If I’m not in the matchday squad then I take it on the chin and it just makes me more hungry to be in the one for the next time.”
With experiences in professional surroundings becoming more regular, it is something Mason, who came through Chesterfield’s youth team, has his eyes firmly set on:
“When you taste it that little bit it drives you even more to get back there.
“Everybody here [at Curzon] knows that and I think that shows what a family club it is because they respect that too.”