Arsenal goalkeeper Petr Cech reached out to Ryan Mason on Twitter after the former Tottenham midfielder called time on his playing career.
Twenty-six-year-old Mason accepted medical advice and announced his retirement on Tuesday, nearly 13 months after last playing for Hull City.
Mason almost died after an accidental collision with Chelsea defender Gary Cahill left him with a fractured skull in Hull's 2-0 defeat at Stamford Bridge early last year.
He staged a remarkable recovery and, speaking in October, spoke of his determination to return to the pitch once his skull had 'fully fused together'.