Ryan Mason: West Bromwich Albion head coach will be the ‘leader’ the club needs says sporting director Andrew Nestor

The sudden departure of the popular Carlos Corberan to Valencia at Christmas had Albion scrambling for a replacement at a crucial time of last season.

The move to bring former boss Tony Mowbray back did not work, leaving James Morrison to oversee the last two games of the campaign with the club’s Championship play-off hopes over.

Nestor said changes in “timing and availability” brought Mason seriously into the frame.

“He has developed a lot of respect in the football industry and that’s a reason he was on the list to begin with,” Nestor told WBA TV.

“We feel like, given his experiences, his character and the discussions we’ve had around our vision for our club, he’s the right person for the job.”

Mason, who won his only England cap in a friendly against Italy in 2015, had two spells in interim charge at Spurs and worked under Jose Mourinho, Antonio Conte and, most recently, Ange Postecoglou as the club won their first trophy for 17 years in the Europa League.

He also brings the experience of his playing career with him, despite that being cut short following a serious head injury suffered in a game against Chelsea in 2018.

“He’s had an incredible football journey,” Nestor said.

“As a player, he worked his way through the football pyramid, he established himself as a Premier League player and played for his country.

“While he was in the Premier League he played under top managers such as Mauricio Pochettino, who Ryan has told me has really influenced how he sees his coaching philosophy and playing style today.

“As a coach, he’s worked at different levels. He’s worked in an elite academy, he’s worked on individual player development for young players as well as world-class senior players.

“He’s really seemed to have taken all those learnings and developed it into his own style.

“It’s a clear, forward-thinking coaching philosophy that we feel fits very well.

“We feel all that experience will enable him to be the leader that we need.”