Ryan Mason lands first permanent role as manager as ex-Spurs coach is appointed by Championship club

Ryan Mason has left Tottenham to launch his managerial career at West Bromwich Albion, signing a three-year contract at the Hawthorns.

Mason spent seven years coaching at Spurs after a playing career which included England honours was ended prematurely due to a serious head injury suffered when playing for Hull City.

He quickly impressed and graduated from coaching roles in the academy to the first team, working closely with Jose Mourinho, Antonio Conte and then Ange Postecoglou.

Mason twice stepped in to lead Tottenham as interim head coach — in 2021 and 2023 — but, at the age of 33, he has left to fulfil his managerial ambitions.

'Albion is the perfect place for me to be and I can't wait to get started,' said Mason.

'This is a huge club with a fantastic infrastructure and an incredible fan base and I am excited about what we can achieve together.'

Ryan Mason, 33, has been appointed as the new head coach at West Bromwich Albion

Mason has spent seven years coaching at Spurs, after appearing in 70 games for the club

West Brom finished ninth in the Championship last season, two points short of the playoffs

Former Spurs coaches Nigel Gibbs and Sam Pooley will join Mason at West Brom, who finished ninth in the Championship last season and sacked boss Tony Mowbray in April.

Baggies chairman Shilen Patel said: 'We are delighted to welcome Ryan to The Hawthorns as our new Head Coach, along with Nigel and Sam.

'We have undertaken a thoughtful and expansive search and Ryan always stood out to us among an incredibly strong group of candidates.

'We are excited to have someone whose skillset means he has the aptitude to help us further establish elite standards in both preparation and player development for the first team and across all our team programmes.

'His experiences as both a first team player and coach under some of the game's most respected minds, along with his time leading academy sides, will be instrumental as we shape a clear philosophy and unified identity at all levels at the Albion.'

Meanwhile, Spurs chairman Daniel Levy said: 'Ryan has been an integral part of Tottenham Hotspur for a number of years, both as a player and a coach.

'I'd like to take this opportunity to thank Ryan for all his dedication and hard work over the years, and we wish him every success for the future.'

Mason had two brief spells as Tottenham's interim manager — in 2021 and then again in 2023

More recently, he worked closely with Ange Postecoglou — who may also leave this summer

Mason is following the path of Scott Parker and Kieran McKenna, who also progressed to management after coaching in the Spurs academy.

It marks another significant exit from the Tottenham camp in what is shaping up to be a summer of great change.

The north London club announced on Monday that executive director Donna-Marie Cullen would step down from the board after many years working closely with chairman Levy.

Scott Munn is set to be ousted after two years as chief football officer. And Postecoglou is also increasingly likely to be fired despite winning the Europa League, with more clarity expected this week.

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