The midifelder has called time on his playing career this morning, but can be proud of what he achieved, especially at Tottenham Hotspur
Former Tottenham Hotspur midfielder Ryan Mason has been forced to retire from football with immediate effect, it was revealed this morning.
The 26-year-old fractured his skull on January 22 2017 during a match between Hull City and Chelsea.
Mason underwent surgery after a collision with Gary Cahill in the Premier League fixture at Stamford Bridge, but today it was confirmed he would be calling time on his playing career early.
A statement on the official Hull City website, read: “It is with deep regret that the club has to announce that, following the head injury suffered on 22nd January 2017, Ryan Mason is to retire from football with immediate effect.
“Ryan has sought the guidance of numerous world renowned neurologists and neuro surgeons who have all advised that a return to competitive football is not advised.
“Ryan would like to put on record his thanks to all at the Club who have aided his recovery to this point and he his is indebted to them for their support and compassion over the past 12 months.”
Mason released an emotional statement soon after it was confirmed he had retired from football with immediate effect.
The north Londoner, who played once for England in a 1-1 draw against Italy in Turin back in March 2015, spent the majority of his career with his boyhood club Spurs.
Born in Enfield, Mason joined the Tottenham Hotspur academy at the age of eight and spent 17 years in N17.
The one-time England under-20 international was forced to play for five different clubs on loan before he made his league debut for Spurs under Mauricio Pochettino.
Pochettino handed Mason a chance in a north London derby on September 27 2014 and he grabbed it with both hands.
He went on to make 70 appearances in all competitions for Tottenham, scoring four goals during the same period before leaving on August 30 2016 to sign for Hull.
Mason’s time at the Tigers was cut short by injury, however, and now he has called time on his playing career.
“I can confirm that following specialist medical advice I am having to retire from playing professional football,” the Spurs fan said in a statement. “I have worked tirelessly in order to be able to return to the pitch.
“Unfortunately, having taken expert medical advice I now have no option but to retire due to the risks involved given the nature of my injury.
“I am and always will be eternally grateful for the incredible network of people around me who have helped me to recover from what was a life-threatening injury in January 2017.
“Thank you to my amazing fiancé, Rachel, who has been by my side and lived every single day with me since the injury, helping to give me the strength I’ve needed no matter how tough things got.
“We are so lucky to have now become the proud parents of our perfect baby boy George.”
He continued: “To my Mum, Dad, sisters, and all of my family and close friends, thank you for everything.
“Despite how tough it’s been and the challenges I’ve faced along the way, you’ve all been there supporting me and words will never truly do justice to how grateful I am for your love and support.
“I would like to thank everyone at Hull City, especially the doc Mark Waller and all of the medical team for helping me to recover. Thank you to the chairman and the board for being so patient with my recovery and sticking by me.
“There are too many names to mention when it comes to talking about Tottenham Hotspur, but I would like to say a special thank you to John McDermott (head of coaching and playing development), the gaffer (Pochettino) and everybody at Spurs for helping me to achieve my dreams.
“I am so proud to have come through the ranks to play for my club, the club I love. To have had the honour of captaining the team fills me with immense pride.
“Thank you to all of my team-mates over the years, there are too many to mention, it’s been a privilege to play alongside you all.
“Finally, representing my country is an honour that nobody can ever take away from me and something that I am so proud to have achieved.
“I’m retiring from the game with my head held high having done everything in my power over these past 13 months to have given myself every opportunity to return to the pitch.
“I feel content knowing that I dedicated my life to be able to play football at the highest level, hard work really does pay off! I love the game, I always will and I am excited to see where football will take me next.”
As eluded to, Mason can look back on his playing career with pride, especially when it comes to Tottenham after achieving an enormous amount with the Lilywhites.
It was his winning goal for Spurs at Sunderland on September 13 2015 which really kick-started Pochettino’s era.
The Argentine was in his second season with the club, but Tottenham started poorly and were without a victory when they visited the Stadium of Light with only three points from their first four games.
Mason netted eight minutes from time, however, to hand Pochettino’s men the win and it sparked a memorable campaign where they qualified for the Champions League with a third-placed finish.
Although the midfielder left at the beginning of the following season, he will always have a place in the hearts of the Tottenham supporters and the hope will be one day he can return to Spurs in some type of capacity.
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules here