West Brom chief reveals how long club had been tracking new boss Ryan Mason

Mason is the second head coach appointment made by ownership group Bilkul since their February 2024 takeover after their first, Tony Mowbray, was sacked after less than 100 days in charge.

But Nestor says the 33-year-old was always on a list drawn up by the owners last year as a contingency, in case they needed to make a change.

That change was then forced on the Baggies when Carlos Corberan left for Valencia on Christmas Eve.

In an interview with the club’s own media channel, Nestor claimed timing was the key factor in being able to move for Mason now.

“As a club, we’re constantly evaluating talent, just like we would players,” said Nestor. “Last year we had developed a short targeted list of potential head coaches in case we would need to make a change, and Ryan has been on that list since the start.

“That list really hasn’t changed, the only thing that has changed has been timing and availability.”

After Corberan’s sudden exit, the Baggies initially turned to Swiss coach Raphael Wicky but his planned appointment broke down at the 11th hour, with Mowbray then moving to the fore.

At that point Mason, who moved into coaching after his playing career was cut short by a serious head injury in 2018, was part of Ange Postecoglou’s backroom team at Tottenham, where he had previously twice stepped up to be interim boss.

While he comfortably ranks as Albion’s youngest managerial appointment in a century, Nestor believes Mason’s experiences in north London means he is far wiser than his years.

“Ryan is relatively young, but in coaching years he’s not,” he said. “He’s really developed an impressive career during his time at Tottenham Hotspur. 

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

“We feel like, given his experiences, his character and the discussions we’ve had around vision for our club, he’s the right person for the job and I’m pleased to welcome him as the new head coach of the Albion.”

Nestor believes Mason’s experience of working under the likes of Postecoglou, Mauricio Pochettino and Antonio Conte during his time at Spurs has given him valuable experience.

“He’s had an incredible football journey,” he added. “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 throughout his career, 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.”