RYAN MASON has revealed he was on the brink of death and slept up to 20 hours a day following his career-ending head injury.
The former Tottenham star, now 29, was playing for Hull when he suffered a sickening clash of heads with then-Chelsea ace Gary Cahill in 2017.
Ryan Mason revealed he was close to death after his horror head injury sustained in 2017Credit: AP
Mason underwent emergency surgery to put 14 metal plates in his skull – held together with 28 screws and 45 staples – to save his life.
Aged just 26, the one-cap England midfielder was forced to retire.
Despite his extensive surgery, Mason – now Spurs’ head of development – has revealed how close he was to passing away as he fights to improve player safety after Raul Jimenez fractured his skull last month.
The Wolves striker was knocked-out after a horrific collision with Arsenal defender David Luiz and was rushed to hospital by an air ambulance car to undergo surgery.
The injury brought back a lot of horrible memories for Mason, who has opened up on just how close he was to death after his 2017 injury,
Mason told the Between The Lines podcast: “I was so, so lucky to stay alive.
“It was very touch and go and I almost lost my life.
“And I would like to say a lot has changed since then on the football pitch, but it actually hasn’t.
Ryan Mason with his partner Rachel PetersCredit: PA:Press Association/PA Images
“[That] is probably why I’m so passionate talking about it now, because obviously Raul has suffered a similar incident.
“I hope he’s OK… I hope his family and everyone around him are OK.
“But it does bring back memories for me and my family, which aren’t pleasant because we suffered a lot.
“We went through a lot together. And you never really expect something like that to happen on a football pitch.”
Mason continued by saying just how badly the brain injury affected him – saying he even had to write a list just to keep track.
Raul Jimenez required surgery after his collision with Luiz
He revealed: “I could have a list of so many things that actually affected me for so long afterwards, and sometimes I forget, so I’ve got it all written down.
“I was sleeping for like 20 hours a day… I couldn’t really hold a conversation.
“When the brain gets an injury, the body just instinctively responds and it almost shuts everything else down.
“The main focus is on making sure the brain’s OK, because it is fundamental to how we live as humans.
“The body invests so much energy into recovery.”
Ryan Mason demands more is done to deal with head injuries in football after Raul Jimenez collision
Source: Soccer - thesun.co.uk
