West Bromwich Albion are said to have chosen their new manager, with Tottenham Hotspur youth coach, Ryan Mason being offered the job.
West Brom have been without a manager since sacking Tony Mowbray towards the end of the season.
The Baggies had been tipped to push for the top two in the Championship but after losing Carlos Coberan to Valencia in December, the club ended up missing out on the top two and playoffs all together, finishing ninth.
The sides hierarchy promised to take time before appointing a successor, with promotion being a key target for next season.
Early reports would have suggested the Baggies were after proven Championship experience, with names such as Marti Cifuentes being touted as front runner. After the club stated Cifuentes was not on their shortlist, they have appeared to target youth, with Mason being their chosen candidate.
33-year-old Mason was a former midfielder who played for Tottenham between 2008-2016 before moving to Hull City for a fee, that at the time was a club record fee.
Unfortunately for the player his time at City, alongside his playing career were cut short. Following a head-to-head collision with Gary Cahill, Mason suffered a fractured skull. After several operations that included 14 metal plates being attached to his skull, he would retire in 2018, with the risks of playing being deemed too high to continue.
Since his retirement, the former England International headed back to Spurs to begin coaching. In late 2018, Mason was appointed U19’s head coach at the club.
After an interim spell in charge, Antonio Conte promoted Mason to a first-team coach, a position he has remained in since 2021. Despite another interim spell, taking the West Brom job would be the former midfielders first full-time foray into senior management.
Mason is said to be highly rated in the coaching world, with Belgian giants, Anderlecht holding talks with the 33-year-old last summer.
The West Brom job offers Mason his first role in club management that is closer to home yet brings immense pressure with the club’s expectation of fighting for promotion.
The Baggies faithful will be hoping the young manager can bring the ideas that the likes of Frank Lampard and Michael Carrick have done so at their respected clubs and follow names such as Scott Parker in delivering a return to the Premier League.
