RYAN MASON has opened up over the horror head injury which forced him into retirement earlier this year.

The former Spurs star suffered a fractured skull while playing for Hull against Chelsea in January 2017.

Mason was rushed to hospital and forced to undergo high-risk surgery to save his life.

The ex-England international is no longer able to play football as a result.

And Mason has explained just how bad the injury was at the time – as well as the lasting effects he lives with every day.

Writing in FourFourTwo, Mason said: “I have 14 metal plates in my skull, with 28 screws to hold them in place.

“There were 45 staples and a six-inch scar across my head too. Picking the staples out definitely wasn’t pleasant.

“I’m aware of it all the time. When I get a headache, the pain is excruciating.

“All the nerves down that side of my face were damaged. For about 10 days I was being spoon-fed.

“Every time I moved my head I started to get dizzy. The first three months after the injury were by far the worst. It was just constant challenges.”