Tim Sherwood has claimed, between Ryan Mason and Harry Kane, the now-retired midfielder, ‘was the pick of the two’, in terms of talent and potential, when growing up, as he told Premier League Productions (07/03/22 at 7:15 pm).
The former Spurs academy coach also added that Mason was the ‘podium player’ and not Kane, who has just gone on to ‘develop’ and become one of the world’s best at his deadly, yet powerful goalscoring craft.
At one point, both Mason and Kane were thriving in Tottenham’s first-team under Mauricio Pochettino, before the 30-year-old’s career landed him elsewhere at places like Hull City.
That was when he suffered his unfortunate head injury and had to retire before he could even hit the peak years of his career.
But, growing up at the north London club’s academy, Sherwood suggested that it was Mason and not Kane who was the most talented.
“He’s like a cross between Teddy Sherringham and Alan Shearer, which is not bad,” Sherwood chuckled. “You have got half a chance when you have that sort of ability.
“He just loves scoring goals. As a youth player, he would pick the ball up from deep. He would drive with it as well.
“We had Ryan Mason, who is on the coaching staff at Tottenham, he was the pick of the two.
“If I said to you ‘someone is a podium player’, then I would have said ‘Ryan Mason’. But Harry has just continued to develop because he wants to work hard and continue developing.”
Mason is now on the coaching staff at Spurs and is working under the wing of Antonio Conte.
For a brief period last season, the Englishman was also the main man in the dugout himself and was managing Kane.
It will be interesting to see, during these coming years, if Mason does step foot into a bigger limelight, regarding management.
At the end of the day, he is getting the best lessons given the managers he has worked under and is now coaching and learning alongside some of the best, such as Conte.
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