Thanks for the memories Ryan
RYAN MASON has been thanked for helping to turn around Mauricio Pochettino’s fortunes at Tottenham after he was forced to retire yesterday because of a head injury.
The Hull midfielder broke the news to team-mates at the Tigers training ground after reluctantly accepting medical advice.
Mason, 26, capped once by England, needed life-saving surgery after fracturing his skull in a collision with Chelsea’s Gary Cahill last January.
It came as he attempted to make a fresh start following a club-record £10million move to Hull from Spurs in August 2016.
After several spells on loan as he came through the ranks at White Hart Lane, Mason established himself in the first team when Pochettino arrived in the summer of 2014.
After an up-and-down start to Pochettino’s reign, Mason opened his account in his first game for the new manager to end a four-game winless run with victory over Nottingham Forest in the League Cup. It helped ease fan discontent and allow Pochettino to secure his position.
And after losing his place because of injury the following season, Mason’s goal in a 1-0 win at Sunderland similarly kickstarted Spurs’ campaign after another fourgame winless run. Pochettino visited Mason in hospital during his recovery last year, describing him as “a very special player and a very special person”. The Argentine’s trusted lieutenant Jesus Perez yesterday posted a social media clip of Mason’s stunning strike against Forest with the message “when you changed it all for us mate, we love you and are always with you”. The PFA said they will help Mason, who is weighing up whether to become a coach or a TV pundit. Mason said: “I have no option due to the risks involved given the nature of my injury but I’m retiring with my head held high having done everything in my power over these past 13 months to return to the pitch. “I’ll always be eternally grateful for the incredible network of family and friends who have helped me to recover from a life-threatening injury. There was a time when I thought, ‘How can I walk again?’, never mind play football. I’m excited to see where football will take me next.” Cahill said: “Devastated to hear today’s news from Ryan. Competing for a corner is something we’ve done thousands of times and to see those consequences for a top professional like Ryan is heartbreaking. Sending all my love to him and his family, and wishing him the best for the future.” Hull boss Nigel Adkins said: “We all wish Ryan well. He was a top professional.”