Ryan Mason says Oliver Skipp is a “very, very lucky boy” after the high challenge that left him needing stitches on his forehead and the acting Tottenham boss kept his cool over a jibe from Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp. Skipp was on the end of a boot to the head from Liverpool’s Diogo Jota on Sunday at Anfield and despite calls from many for a red card the attacker remained on the pitch and scored the last-gasp winning goal for the hosts. Mason delivered an update on Friday on 22-year-old Skipp, who was approached by an apologetic Jota in the tunnel after the game.
Ryan Mason said: “He is a very, very lucky boy. He had a couple of gashes in his head, needed near to 10 stitches and we are talking about a couple of inches away from an eye problem. I think the overall feeling this week is we are quite grateful Skippy is okay and it’s nothing too serious.”
For someone whose career ended with a fractured skull, Mason is perhaps better placed than most to discuss head injuries although he made the clear distinction between this collision and the one that ended his playing days.
Ryan Mason said: “Obviously a different situation, different moment as well. One was with a head, one was with a boot so the dangers are different. At the same time the head is a vulnerable part of the body. We continue to see that. Thankfully Skippy is okay. He is in contention and has trained this week.”
After the game, Klopp had shot down Mason’s disappointment over the lack of punishment for Jota with a slightly patronising jibe and criticised Spurs’ style of play, something the Liverpool boss has done in the past to the young coach’s predecessors.
Jurgen Klopp said: “Ryan has to worry about other stuff. They can’t just counter-attack; they have to play better football with that team. Diogo Jota has the foot high but he’s not going for the head. I heard Oliver Skipp could’ve had a red card [for an earlier tackle on Luis Diaz]. Did he speak about that as well? Wanting Diogo Jota off the pitch, worry about other stuff.”
When asked about those comments from the Liverpool boss, Mason was not about to be drawn into a war of words with the German although some might read between the lines of his response.
Ryan Mason said: “First of all I respect and admire Jurgen Klopp. I also respect Liverpool Football Club. Honestly in my current situation now and regardless of what happens in my coaching career, I don’t believe I will ever be in a position where I can sit here and criticise another football club in the way they are doing things. I will not create a war of words. That is my opinion on it. I don’t think it will change in 20 years time. I don’t think I will ever be in that position or earn the right to criticise another football club for how they want to try and win the game and how they feel is the best chance for them to win the game in that moment in time.”
Behind the scenes at Tottenham, the club’s academy capped a big few weeks with their U18s following the U17s in lifting the Premier League Cup. As a former Spurs academy youngster who made it through to the first team, Mason was asked if there was hope that some of those young stars will following in his, Skipp and Harry Kane’s footsteps among others.
Ryan Mason said: “Absolutely I have seen a lot of them. I work for this football club, I work in the first-team and it is part of my job to pay attention and understand where the academy are at and try bridge that gap. Of course we have hope for many of them but at 16 and 17, it can be a long road and it can be difficult. Sometimes people develop earlier than others and sometimes players seize the moment. Hopefully some of them can make the step up in the coming years. From a timescale point of view, it is very difficult to put a time on it but historically this football club has always valued that and we continue to do that now. It is part of being at this football club and you need to understand and feel that as a player there will be competition, so you need to be the best version of you every day and keep improving. That is not just for our academy boys but also our first-team lads. That is part of playing for Tottenham. In terms of that pathway or route, I don’t believe a pathway exists in academy football, I just believe you have to work hard, be the best player and continue to be the best player and hopefully make an impact on first-team coaches. That has always got to be the plan and hopefully our players can do that.”
As a disciple of Mauricio Pochettino, who firmly believed in using young players if they were ready, Mason was asked whether he as a manager will be someone who looks to dip into the academy at whatever club he works for in the future.
Ryan Mason said: “I think it depends on the situation. It’s very easy for people to have an opinion from the outside but every job you’re in there’s context. You have to manage it differently. Of course I see the value in the academy and having homegrown players, especially here in England. We’ve seen in the past the importance of that, but at the same time players have to be good enough. They have to earn that opportunity. That’s the most important message to any young player. They have to work hard. It’s not an easy route to the top, especially at a club of this size. Sometimes it can be a long road. My experience shows that. My Premier League debut came at 23. That’s my message, it’s not about me it’s about the environment and whether academy players can help get results on the pitch.”
On what homegrown players can bring to a squad,
Ryan Mason said: “It’s good for everyone. The feeling it creates inside, with the fans as well because when you grow up supporting a team you always have that dream you can represent them. As fans we do and if we young players doing that I think it’s great. We’ve had that here. We still have that. We have academy players playing in our first team. I don’t know what will happen here but hopefully that trend will continue, but players have to be good enough, work hard and earn the right to wear the shirt.”
