5 most heart-wrenching moments of the season gone by
Another season is done and dusted. While the game has given us its fair share of great moments and cause for massive celebrations, it has also seen and endured tough situations throughout the long season.
During football's down moments, is when people of all backgrounds be it fans, players, coaches and anyone connected to the game, comes together as the collective. While these issues always do get thrust into the spotlight, it is the manner in which the collective football community deals with the situation that revives the entire community.
Here are five such instances and some of the most heart-wrenching moments of the football season gone by.
#5 Ryan Mason's premature retirement
English midfielder, Ryan Mason was forced to retire from football on medical advice following the head injury he suffered during Hull City’s Premier League match at Chelsea in January 2017, last season.
Mason, 26, sustained a fractured skull in a clash of heads with Chelsea defender Gary Cahill while defending a corner during his team’s defeat and subsequently received treatment for ten minutes on the pitch. He had surgery at St Mary’s Hospital in London and was released eight days later but has since struggled with his recovery, admitting he had “no choice” but to retire.
Mason began his career at Spurs and had loan spells with Yeovil, Doncaster, Millwall and Swindon before joining Hull in a £12m move in 2016. “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,” the former player added.
The Tottenham manager, Mauricio Pochettino, also predicted that Mason could return in a coaching role. Currently working as a coach and working on his badges, Mason has transitioned from a footballer.