Tottenham Hotspur midfielder Ryan Mason has claimed that he never thought about leaving the club, despite several loan spells elsewhere.

The 23-year-old started Spurs' 1-1 draw with Arsenal in the North London derby on Saturday, days after netting his first goal for the club in their victory over Nottingham Forest in the League Cup.

Despite five loan stints away from White Hart Lane, Mason said that he always saw his long-term future with the Premier League side.

He told the Daily Star: "I've had a few chances to leave but I wanted to play for Spurs so bad that I never thought about leaving.

"I wanted to stay and give it a go and see what happened. The change in the manager (from Tim Sherwood to Mauricio Pochettino) has helped me.

"If [Sherwood] was still here then maybe I wouldn't be in the team."

Spurs host Besiktas in the Europa League on Thursday.