Former Tottenham midfielder Ryan Mason calls for stronger punishments for late aerial challenges following Anthony Martial’s sickening clash of heads with Issa Diop

Ryan Mason has called on football authorities to hand out more severe punishments for late aerial challenges following Anthony Martial’s collision with Issa Diop earlier this week.

West Ham made the first concussion substitution in English football as defender Diop was taken off during Manchester United’s 1-0 FA Cup victory on Tuesday.

The Frenchman, who entered the game as a substitute himself in the 16th minute to replace the injured Angelo Ogbonna, collided with his compatriot Martial in the closing stages of the first half.

And Mason, who hung up his boots in February 2018 at the age of just 26 as a result of the serious head injury, said it’s time for dangerous aerial challenges to receive tougher punishments.

“I believe strongly that if this type of challenge from behind happened on the ground it would have without doubt received either a yellow or red card,” he wrote on Twitter.

“It was with force and mistimed, and surely therefore dangerous play.
“There must therefore be a consequence for dangerous play, regardless of whether it’s mistimed on the floor or in the air.”

Last November, Wolves striker Raul Jimenez had surgery on a fractured skull last November after a heavy clash with Arsenal defender David Luiz.

And the former Tottenham, Hull and England man joined talkSPORT to express his shock that his injury has not changed made the authorities take head injuries more seriously.

“I was quite upset to see something like that happen on a football pitch again, it’s very concerning,” Mason told talkSPORT host Jim White.

“It’s a real shame my incident didn’t change the perception; what is it really going to take for people to start realising this is something really, really serious?

“I’ll be honest, I was shocked David Luiz was allowed to play on.

“I’m not criticising the Arsenal doctor because there’s a protocol in place and I’m sure he’s followed that.

“But that protocol that is currently in place is not enough; it’s not enough just to have two or three minutes, it’s not enough.”