Ryan Mason retires: Gary Cahill admits he is ‘devastated’ to hear fellow pro has hung up his boots

Ryan Mason retires: Gary Cahill admits he is ‘devastated’ to hear fellow pro has hung up his boots Ryan Mason retires: Gary Cahill admits he is ‘devastated’ to hear fellow pro has hung up his boots The former Hull midfielder, 26, fractured his skull last January after clashing heads with Cahill and was immediately rushed to hospital for life-saving surgery.Midfielder Mason, who was capped once by England against Italy in 2015, clashed heads with Chelsea defender Gary Cahill at Stamford Bridge when playing for Hull 13 months ago. The accidental collision caused the injury that led 26-year-old Mason to spend so long on the sidelines.Mason hoped to return to action but eventually elected to hang up his boots, accepting he would be endangering himself by playing on. He described the injury as “life-threatening” and said the decision, from a medical point of view, was a “no-braine And unfortunately, Mason never recovered from his injuries and was forced to quit football on medical advice. Cahill, 32, tweeted: “Devastated to hear today’s news from Ryan. “Competing for a corner is something we’ve done thousands of times and to see those consequences for a top professional like Ryan is heartbreaking. “Sending all my love to him and his family, and wishing him the best for the future.”Cahill’s former team-mate Petr Cech – who also suffered a severe head injury – also shared his well wishes. He wrote: “Yesterday was a sad day for one incredible young man .@RyanMason.”Although his story didn’t finish with the ultimate happy ending, his determination, attitude and bravery he’s shown during his recovery is something to be admired and an inspiration for others! All the best Ryan”. Mason – who welcomed his first child George into the world in December – says he now has “no option” but to hang up his boots following medical advice. Breaking the news, he wrote: “I can confirm that following specialist medical advice I am having to retire from playing professional football. “I have worked tirelessly in order to be able to return to the pitch. Unfortunately, having taken expert medical advice I now have no option but to retire due to the risks involved given the nature of my injury.]]>