Tottenham Hotspur manager Mauricio Pochettino has called Ryan Mason as one of the most important players of his managerial career.
Mason retired in February 2018 and is currently spending time with Tottenham working towards his coaching badges.
Why was Mason important for Pochettino? Five key things to know…
- A graduate of Tottenham’s academy, Mason spent two years working with Pochettino at Spurs.
- The midfielder left for Hull City in 2016, becoming the Tigers’ record signing at £10m.
- But, after suffering a fractured skull in a game against Chelsea in 2017, Mason would ultimately have to retire in 2018.
- And with Mason now back at Spurs working on coaching, Pochettino has hailed the Englishman for impact.
- Mason played 66 times under Pochettino, the most of any manager during his career.
Mason also spends his time as a pundit for BT Sport and was part of the channel’s coverage of Tottenham’s 3-1 win over rivals Chelsea to end the Blues’ unbeaten start to the Premier League season.
Speaking after the win, knowing Mason was present, Pochettino told BT Sport: “I want to say hello to the people up there [in the studio] and, of course, Ryan Mason who I always miss.
“He was one of the most important players in my career, as a manager.
“And I’m happy to see him there, I’m always learning from him on the training ground every day.”
The win over Chelsea saw Tottenham leapfrog their rivals into third ahead of next Sunday’s North London derby with Arsenal.
But, before that, Spurs must fight for their place in the Champions League against Inter Milan on Wednesday knowing only a win would truly keep their slim hopes of reaching the knockout stages alive.
Pochettino is one of the best young managers in the world – Mason
Tottenham’s 3-1 win over Chelsea on Saturday was just another example of why so many people have touted Pochettino to move onto greater things with Real Madrid and Manchester United touted as potential destinations for the Argentine.
A former defender, Pochettino started his managerial career with Espanyol, spending three years with the club before making his first move to England to take charge of Southampton.
Despite not being a confident English speaker, Pochettino turned Southampton into a competitive side with the Saints finishing eighth in his only full season on the south coast.
This was enough to lure Tottenham, where he has been ever since, slowly bringing them to be regular top four contenders.
And, as well as holding a good personal relationship with the Argentine, Mason believes Pochettino is one of the best young managers in the world.
“He’s someone that I bonded with straight away,” he said on BT Sport.
“He was my manager but more than that, we had a relationship outside of football and we’re still very close.”
“He’s a top man, he’s done a great job there. He’s welcomed me back and I’m lucky that I’m in and around the club and I’m learning from one of the best young managers in the world.”
The post Mauricio Pochettino: Ryan Mason is one of the most important players of my managerial career appeared first on Squawka News.
From Squawka NewsSquawka News https://ift.tt/2TKBhAJ
No comments:
Post a Comment