Tottenham Hotspur coach Ryan Mason is highly rated by those within the club and could be the man who takes over if Antonio Conte is sacked.
Could Ryan Mason be the next Spurs boss?
According to reports, the Lilywhites are looking into the possibility of sacking Conte during the international break ahead of his contract expiring in the summer.
And it is believed one of the options which Spurs would then have is to promote Mason as the caretaker manager as he did back in 2021.
There are 10 games remaining for the north London side in the Premier League and there is a lot lying on their run-in with Champions League football still to play for.
Speaking on the FIVE YouTube channel, reliable journalist David Ornstein has claimed the noises coming out of Hotspur Way surrounding Mason are incredibly positive:
"Does his potential translate into being able to manage Tottenham at this level on a permanent basis? Does he have the staff around him? Can you build a sufficient staff to manage a club at this level and the egos of the dressing room?
"I'm really liking what I've seen of Ryan Mason and what I've heard, but that will be a big decision for them to make."
Can Mason be trusted as the caretaker manager?
As aforementioned, there are 10 important games for Spurs in their quest to land a spot in next season's Champions League and they will likely have to turn their form around given the competition they face.
Newcastle United only sit two points off Spurs now but Eddie Howe's men have two games in hand on Spurs which could, therefore, open up a four-point gap in fourth spot.
Mason has previously stepped up and took charge of the first team when Jose Mourinho was sacked and he was able to provide a satisfactory return in the Premier League.
Under the 31-year-old, Spurs were able to return four victories from their six league games as they finished in seventh spot in the table.
However, it has to be noted Mason's spell of games back in 2021 looked a lot more favourable than the run of games which are ahead of Spurs in the coming months.
Champions League football is still very much to play for in the remaining games of the season but they will face the teams around them in the process.
Visits to Anfield and St James' Park are on the list as well as hosting Brighton & Hove Albion as well as Manchester United.
Mason does now have a lot more experience of coaching under his belt having worked under Conte since the Italian's appointment back in 2021.
However, there is no denying there is a massive challenge ahead of Spurs if they are to land themselves a spot inside the top four.
