Nippy midfielder Ryan Mason has been given the opportunity to gain first team football by being allowed to go out on loan and the locally born youngster hopes to make the breakthrough at Tottenham soon.
Attending Cheshunt School and Enfield Grammar School, Ryan was a district hurdles champion and his talent was spotted by Spurs and he progressed through the youth system and into the Academy side, where he was top scorer for two seasons running.
His first spell out on loan at Yeovil in 2009 saw him score six goals in a good run in the side that helped the team regain their League One status. Ryan signed an extension in July 2011 to keep him at the club until 2013, but there were subsequent loan spells at Doncaster Rovers which were interrupted by injury, but he returned for the 2011-12 season, but a change in management saw him return to Spurs, only to leave straight away to join Millwall in a joint loan deal with Harry Kane for the remainder of the season.
Preferring to play in the hole behind the main striker, Ryan has a slight build, but is being toughened up by his time spent in the lower leagues. Has the ability to hold the ball well and can make perceptive runs in behind defences from a deeper position. Mason also has a good awareness of where his team-mates are and is a good creator of goals too.
Loaned out again to Doncaster Rovers, Lorient in France and in 2013 and Swindon Town in 2013-14. He had played a couple of first team games in cup games in 2012, but just when it looked as though his time was up at Spurs, having missed pre-season 2014 through injury, his recovery saw him come on as a sub against Nottingham Forest in the League Cup to turn the match in Tottenham's favour with a goal. Under new manager Mauricio Pochettino, Ryan seemed to find an appreciative coach and he may have made his mark to earn a regular squad place. A determined battler in midfield, who liked to get forward, Ryan made a good impression in the 2014-15 season, but an early season injury during the next campaign saw him take time to get back and then struggle to reassert himself in the first team midfield.
By the time August 2016 arrived, he was deemed surplus to requirements and was allowed to leave, choosing Hull City over Sunderland and becoming their record signing in the process.