Sports Tottenham caretaker boss Ryan Mason takes charge of his first training session ahead of Saints visit
Ryan Mason has taken charge of his first training session as Tottenham caretaker boss as he prepared the team for Southampton’s visit on Wednesday.
The 29-year-old was pictured laughing and joking with some of his former Spurs team-mates while he took the session at the club’s Enfield training base on Tuesday.
Spurs chairman Daniel Levy announced earlier in the day that Mason would be taking charge of the team for the rest of the season after sacking Jose Mourinho on Monday.
Mason, who was forced into early retirement after suffering a fractured skull in a sickening incident while playing for Hull against Chelsea in 2017, is now preparing his boyhood club for their remaining six Premier League games, as well as this Sunday’s Carabao Cup final against Manchester City.
But with Wednesday’s test against Ralph Hasenhuttl’s men at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium fast approaching, Mason got down to business in the sun in north London, with the team in a jovial mood following the former Spurs midfielder’s appointment.
Following the announcement that Mason would be taking charge for the rest of the campaign, the north London club also revealed that he will be joined by Chris Powell and Nigel Gibbs as interim assistant head coaches while Michel Vorm returns to the club as interim goalkeeping coach.
Ledley King, who was a part of Mourinho’s backroom staff during the Portuguese boss’ 17 months in charge of the club, continues in his role as first team assistant.
After getting the nod for the role on a temporary basis, Mason revealed he has ‘exchanged a few messages’ with former boss Mauricio Pochettino’s coaching team, who is now at Paris Saint-Germain.
He also reflected on a ‘crazy’ 24 hours, insisting ‘anything can happen and you just have to be prepared and ready for what football can throw at you at times’.
‘It’s crazy. It’s football. I’ve had it as a player. Obviously I’ve had the experience of having to retire in this game,’ he said, in advance of his first match in charge against Southampton on Wednesday night.
He also stated that he was not focusing on his long-term prospects in the hotseat, when asked about whether he wants the job on a permanent basis.
‘Look it’s a bit of cliche but I only knew I was taking training yesterday. All of my focus is on the game tomorrow and then the weekend,’ he said.
‘I think it’s no secret that I love this football club. To spend 20 years of my 29 here, it’s a big part of me.
‘We [Mason and Levy] had a very long chat. Once the news broke I was in the building. We had a conversation. I took training, we had another conversation and he asked me if I wanted it.’
Mason added that he was ‘not sure’ if Kane would be fit for Sunday’s Cup final against Manchester City, having picked up an injury in the 2-2 draw at Everton on Friday.
‘[He] didn’t train today. (We’re) taking it day by day. Not sure about the weekend yet.’
