Former Tottenham player Ryan Mason retires from football

Thirteen months after suffering a horrible head injury during a football match, Hull City midfielder Ryan Mason is hanging up his boots. Mason, a former Tottenham player and academy graduate, cracked his skull in a head on head collision with Chelsea’s Gary Cahill in a match in January of 2017. He had returned to training with Hull in recent months to try and make a return to the pitch, but on the advice of his doctors decided that he needed to retire for his own safety.

Mason posted his decision on his Instagram feed.

Hull City also issued a statement on their website:

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.

And Tottenham tweeted their support for Mason on the club’s twitter account:

Mason was a somewhat divisive fixture on this site and amongst Spurs fans, but what was indisputable was that he loved the club and was a loyal player. He also gave his all while he was playing for both Tottenham and Hull City. No one deserves to have their career ended with an accident like the one he suffered, and while he won’t play professional football again the most important thing is that he recovered.

I hope he lands on his feet somewhere, either in punditry, a football related field, or some other career that will give him a long, fulfilling life. He deserves that, at the very least, along with our support.