'Smart, analytical and resilient' - West Brom boss Ryan Mason's pathway to Hawthorns
Smart, analytical and mentally strong: those are just some of the words used by his former colleagues to describe West Brom's new boss Ryan Mason.
Watch more of our videos on ShotsTV.com
and on Freeview 262 or Freely 565
Former Tottenham Hotspur academy star Yaser Kasim first met Mason at the age of eleven and spent seven years climbing the youth ranks alongside him.
The pair go back a very long way and Mason's strong mindset was evident from an early age.
"He was one of the best technical players in the team and we had a phenomenal age group," Kasim revealed.
"He was one of those guys that you always want to start and finish a game because you never knew when you might need him.
"In terms of his mindset, he would never give up, but he was also very smart and analytical."
Kasim would eventually embark on a career at Swindon Town, whereas Mason went on to make it all the way to the first team.
Mason starred alongside the likes of Danny Rose and Harry Kane in the academy set-up, but Kasim feels the quality of coaching at Spurs planted the early seeds for his future career in management.
