Quotes from Ryan Mason

It's difficult but I'm respecting my body - what I can do I'm doing, and what I can't do I'm not.

Retiring was very tough, it's tough at the best of times. Nothing can prepare you for it.

All the moments I've had in the last 10, 15 years as a player have maybe shaped me to where I am today. But the way I live my life, the way I think I want to be positive, happy, to have experiences that I can look back on.

It's football and anyone involved knows that you have to be prepared.

I think every season in pre-season you go into it and everyone is saying, 'they'll be strong next season,' but you never know.

I worked with Mauricio Pochettino and even as a player, he had certain mannerisms and his body language. There was so much to learn from.

I think City are probably four or five years ahead of us, they've had a manager for such a long time, worked a certain way for such a long time. Going forward, my idea and I'm sure everyone's idea of Tottenham is to be brave and try and dominate games like they do.

It wouldn't surprise me in 10 to 15 years if heading wasn't involved in the game. The research and the momentum it's getting, I think it's probably going to open up a lot more stuff that becomes quite shocking.

I feel content knowing that I dedicated my life to be able to play football at the highest level, hard work really does pay off!

I understand there is a lot of pressure on managers to get instant results, but English players know the league, and for them to be given the opportunity and the time as well, there is plenty of talent out there.

Every match I watch will be bittersweet. It will always hurt, I'll always miss competing. That's what I've done my whole life and that burning desire is not just going to leave me.

I'm quite a positive person anyway and I realize the benefits of not trying to look at the negatives on things.

A trophy is always welcome, especially after many years without one.

There's plenty of points to play for in the Premier League.

It's important that we have the right mentality because it's not easy to win games in the Premier League.

Obviously it's my job, a coach's job to start giving the players a platform and start preparing, start planning.

It's a scary moment when you're on a football pitch and realize that your life is in danger - it was a one in a million kind of thing.

I'm a Tottenham player and am determined to go back into pre-season as fit as possible with the aim of impressing the gaffer to try and establish myself in the team.

Ultimately the specialists that I've seen and spoken to, if you do get a whack on the head and there's a small sort of concussion, and then you go and get another whack on the head within minutes, then that's when the damage can be done. And I think that's where we can potentially protect the players a lot more.

My main priority was to get my health back. I had my family around me and my partner had just had a baby. It put into perspective some of the things that were most important.

I think when you lose a cup final, it's disappointing.

I look at some kids and they head the ball with the top of the head and their technique is all wrong, therefore the pressure that it's putting on the brain is a lot more.

Maybe bring in sponge balls to learn the technique and gain that experience of actually challenging for a header.

When I was in the youth team, I didn't really see a path into the first team initially because there were managers who didn't really want to promote youth, they'd rather go out and buy someone.