Tottenham 0 Manchester City 1: Ryan Mason 'delighted with breakthrough season' and admits he now 'feels like a footballer'

Despite another season of what-could-have-been at White Hart Lane, Mason is pleased with his individual development this season

Ryan Mason is pleased with his development this season (Getty Images)

Football is a team game, but it is played by individuals, so it is hard for Ryan Mason not to feel a sense of satisfaction, elation even, despite Tottenham's season drawing to a close with the familiar sense of what-might-have-been?

Harry Kane’s spectacular emergence has dominated the headlines from White Hart Lane but in many ways Mason’s campaign has been just as noteworthy.

The 23-year-old midfielder began the season as a serial loanee, farmed out by Spurs to five different clubs since making his debut as a 17-year-old back in 2008. This campaign has been different. He made a daunting Premier League debut in the north London derby at the Emirates in September and has been a fixture in the Spurs team ever since. In March he made his England senior debut.

“It’s been a breakthrough season for me,” he said. “I’m delighted how it’s been. The challenge now is to carry on and keep improving for next season.

“This summer will be the first time I am going into a break feeling like a footballer. I have had 34, 35 games and that’s the first time that’s happened. So after [Spurs’ remaining] three games I’ll look forward to it – but probably within a couple of weeks I will be dying to get back into it and pre-season.”

Though Tottenham’s season is drifting to a close Mason insisted they were not thinking of the beach just yet. “We are a very young team and we want to be playing games. There’s no sense of us thinking about our holidays. You can see with the effort we put in against Manchester City [on Sunday] that won’t be a problem at all.”

Sergio Aguero celebrates after scoring against Spurs (Getty Images)

That match ended in a 1-0 home defeat, despite Spurs playing well. “We spoke before the game about being clinical and we weren’t that against City,” said Mason.

“We want to win games, play attractive football and score goals, but there are times when maybe we’ve been maybe a bit naïve. I think we were fantastic, but we didn’t convert our chances.

“It has still been a positive season. It is disappointing the way the last few games have been. We feel like if we play our game we can get results against anyone - it is about doing that on a consistent basis.

“City knew how to shut out the game and that is something we have to learn quickly for next season because we have got a young team and we need to learn how to play badly and win.”