Centre Tosh Masson is hoping Harlequins take a gamble on him in the same way he gambled his future to join the club in the first place.

The 24-year-old started his career at the Stoop in 2004 playing for free before his displays in the A team secured a permanent contract and a first team debut against the Natal Sharks.

Masson is out of contract at the end of the season but sees his Quins future in the balance having undergone surgery to cure a long standing ankle problem that has been bothering him for the last 12 months.

A shortage of midfield backs - with the likes of Jordan Turner-Hall sidelined with a shoulder injury - meant the Croydon-born England U21 international had to delay the operation in the club’s best interests.

It means he will be sidelined for the next eight weeks at a time when he should be attempting to extend his stay in west London, and he can only hope he has done enough in six years with club to warrant a new deal.

“I haven’t really been able to play my best rugby for the past year because of a bone growth in my ankle,” he said.

“Resting the problem over the summer had made no difference, but with the injury problems we had at the start of the season I had no choice but to play.

“I had to take the risk rather than have the operation, because I might not have got another chance to play. It is very poor timing considering the contract situation.

“All I can do is give it my best, get fit and hopefully come back in time to make a difference and impress as many people as I can.”

Masson quit university at Kings College, London, a year into his degree to pursue his dream of playing top level rugby and trained with the Quins academy without pay in the hopes of landing a contract.

Having achieved his goal of playing in the Premiership he is not prepared to let it go without a fight.

“I just want to play rugby. I’ve reached one goal, now I want to achieve another by playing every game in a season rather than parts of it,” he added.

“Of course, I would like to stay at Quins, but if not here I just want to be somewhere I can play a whole season.”

Masson, whose parents are both Indian-born, was this week nominated for the British Asian Sports Personality of the Year award to be unveiled on February 6.

“It would be a massive honour to get it . I’ve never won an award. There are a lot of Asian kids who enjoy the game but don’t take it up because of the perceived culture differences,” he said.

“Hopefully, being recognised in this way will be break those barriers down.”

Tosh Masson - Factfile - First ever British Asian to represent England under 21 and a Premiership rugby union club.

- First team regular at the Premiership Harlequin’s rugby union club.

- Head hunted to represent India at the Commonwealth Games in Delhi 2010.

- Already included into the hall of fame at the British Asian rugby association.

You can vote for Tosh at www.basauk.tv.