ADAM Smith has admitted the grave head injury sustained by best friend Ryan Mason made him appreciate that "football is not everything".

Mason fractured his skull in a collision with Gary Cahill while playing for Hull City in a match at Chelsea earlier this year.

The 26-year-old, who forged a close friendship with Cherries defender Smith when the pair were together at Tottenham, has said the moment of impact felt like "a bomb going off in my head".

Mason needed 14 metal plates inserted on the right side of his skull in the days following the incident. But the midfielder, capped once by England, is now painstakingly working towards a full recovery and aims to resume his professional career.

Smith told the Daily Echo: "When it happened it was an extremely difficult time for Ryan and his family.

"And it was difficult for me. To see my best friend go through that was a horrible thing – but he has come back from it strongly.

"It does make you realise that football is not everything and I think people forget there is a life outside of the game and footballers are human beings.

"Going out on the pitch is a risk and I am glad Ryan is doing well now. He is doing rehab and is back to normal.

"It does make you realise how lucky we are. I am in constant touch with him to find out how he is doing."