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26-year old Hull City midfielder Ryan Mason has been forced to go on early retirement from football, following complications from a clash of head with Chelsea’s Gary Cahill in 2017 which led to a fractured skull. The young midfielder, who was at one point touted to be an emerging English talent, won his one and only cap for the English national team in 2015.
Mason had to undergo a surgery after he clashed heads with Chelsea defender Gary Cahill in a Premier League match with his Hull City side in January of 2017. Following the clash in the game, Mason spent eight minutes receiving treatment, after which he was given oxygen and stretchered off the pitch.
Following medical tests, he underwent surgery at London’s St Mary’s Hospital, where he spent a week after the surgery to begin recovery. Mason had voiced out the feeling of him being “lucky to be alive”, for the incident.
After months of recuperation, he began training in May last year, but was not given an expected date of return to footballing action. Mason’s decision to retire is consequent of the various consultations he had received via "the guidance of numerous world-renowned neurologists and neuro surgeons".
Mason who started his career with Tottenham before signing for Hull City in a reported club record fee of £13m in August 2016, said he had tirelessly worked to play again, but “the risks involved in doing so had given him no option but to retire”.
In a statement credited to Hull City boss, Leonid Slutsky back in August, the Tigers manager stated that the “issue regarding Ryan Mason was not just about football but about his life”, after the 26-year old saw a third specialist over the issue. Hull City currently in the championship, released a statement after the news of Mason’s retirement from football at the age of 26, which read;
"Ryan would like to put on record his thanks to all at the club who have aided his recovery to this point and he is indebted to them for their support and compassion over the past 12 months."
Ryan Mason’s former Manager and current Tottenham Hotspurs boss, Mauricio Pochettino, whom Mason played for at Spurs, stated that “his door was open to help Mason”. Pochettino further said;
"He is 26 but his brain is amazing, he is an amazing person. He will be a very successful person in football, in everything he wants to do. For me, Ryan is a player who will always be special.”
"Don't worry Ryan; you are going to be a successful person outside the pitch."
My prayers goes to him.
it's very said news for him to retire from football in his very young age due to his injury. I feel sorry for him.
Yea, i feel sad for the young lad too @adnan840
Football is a game but not kill not falt any other.Very sad.
Yea, it is indeed sad @hhumaira
thank you for the news!!!
Thanks for reading
I was sad to hear this news yesterday, as someone who loves the game of football and dreamed of becoming a footballer myself as a kid it is unfortunate to see someone who did manage to make it have it ended prematurely.
Most important thing is that he is still here though and will have a healthy life, hopefully he is still able to continue to be involved in the sport in some capacity.
I agree with you @jclark. To have made it to the heights he reached, and to have it cut short by a career-ending injury is just too devastating. I hope he'd do fine off the field, perhaps in a managerial or administrative role. Thanks for reading.
This heart breaking, such an exciting lad. Now we see the risks involved in the game, but we fume over there earnings every now and then. Be brave son, there is life outside of playing professional football on the pitch.
Thanks for sharing this.
I couldn't agree more with you @samirich. So many people sit behind a TV screen shouting and cursing over football games, forgetting that those directly involved in it are exposed to so many risks, despite the huge earnings they might also be entitled to as well. I just hope Ryan Mason would be able to move on to greater things from a game that apparently brought him fame and fortune. Thanks for reading.
Sad news, for sure. But he's still young and he got his whole life in front of him. Best wishes for the future!
Man, I hate to see good players leave early but it sounds like its for the best.