RYAN MASON has had more to reflect on than pretty much any Premier League footballer this year.
And the Hull City midfielder admitted the last 11 months have been the hardest of his life.
Mason, 26, was rushed to hospital after suffering a fractured skull following a clash of heads with Chelsea defender Gary Cahill in January 2017.
Hull have since been relegated and Mason hasn’t kicked a competitive ball since – and nor has he been fit to.
And he posted a reflective New Year’s Eve post on Instagram, looking back on a terrifically difficult period anyone would have to endure.
He said: “It’s hard to put into words the year I have had.
“It’s been a physical and mental challenge that I am proud to have overcome, and to end the year holding my son in my arms is a special feeling.
“Coming back stronger!”
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Mason posted a picture of himself sat up with a foot-long scar on his head, curved from the crown of his forehead, round the back and down to his ear.
The image was paired with another of him holding his newborn baby son George, who partner Rachel Peters gave birth to just five days before Christmas.
Proud dad Mason looks happy – and a tad sleep-deprived – as he poses for the image in the comfort of his living room.
And nobody could begrudge Mason well wishes for 2018 as the former Spurs star puts a life-threatening 2017 behind him.
He spent eight days in hospital after having surgery for a bleed on the brain – he had to had 14 metal plates and 42 staples inserted into his skull by surgeons at St Mary’s in Paddington, London.
During his recovery, he would spend up to 20 hours a day asleep.
Mason, who once feared he may never walk again, will undergo a follow up scan in January to see if the skull has fused.
He hopes to be playing within two months.
Earlier this year, Mason revealed he had an out-of-body experience in which he saw his future children.
He told The Sun: “I was still in my kit in the ambulance and had a bit of an out-of-body experience.
“It felt peaceful and the last thing I remember in the ambulance was an image of Rachel running on a hill with a dog and a little boy and girl.”