Hull City have regretfully announced that Ryan Mason has been forced to retire from football at the age of 26 as a result of the fractured skull he suffered while playing for the Tigers last season.
Mason collided with Chelsea’s Gary Cahill in a Premier League match in January of 2017 and was rushed to hospital, later revealing he had an “out of body experience” in the ambulance on the way.
🔶◾️ | It is with deep regret that the Club has to announce, following the head injury suffered on 22nd January 2017, @RyanMason is to retire from football with immediate effect ➡️ https://t.co/ccKiMlH6ZK pic.twitter.com/uNQ6mALO35
— Hull City (@HullCity) February 13, 2018
Hull posted the following statement on their official 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.
After coming through at Tottenham, the nifty central-midfielder went on to make 20 appearances for Hull and earned one cap for England.
What a damn shame. By all accounts, Mason has fought tooth and nail to fight his way back to fitness over the past year, but the injury he suffered was just too serious to risk returning to competitive football.
The correct decision has been made, albeit a undoubtedly painful one for a lad who joined Spurs as an eight-year-old almost two decades ago.
Here’s wishing him the very best of luck in whatever he goes on to do.