West Bromwich Albion midfielder Jake Livermore has admitted that he 'feared the worst' for former Hull City teammate Ryan Mason following his horrific head injury on Sunday.
The 25-year-old is currently recovering in hospital after fracturing his skull during a collision with Chelsea defender Gary Cahill during the two sides' encounter at Stamford Bridge.
Livermore and Mason both came up through the Tottenham Hotspur academy and were reunited when Mason moved to the Tigers last summer, before Livermore completed a switch to the Baggies late last week.
"It's never nice to see any fellow professional seriously injured," Livermore said of the incident. "Hopefully his speedy recovery continues.
"I only spoke to him a couple of days ago and he wished me well at West Brom. You fear the worst when something like that happens.
"I know his family very well. Everyone wishes him all the best, fingers crossed he'll be fine. He's a strong character anyway. I've played with him for a long time growing up and I've no doubts he'll be fine."
In a statement on Tuesday, Hull said that Mason is continuing to make "excellent progress" in his recovery from the injury.
Neil Wilkes
