Image courtesy of Talksport
Ledley King is one of Tottenham‘s greatest players ever, but he didn’t play in the most talented generation. King was plagued by knee injuries over the years, but despite interest from clubs elsewhere, he stood by The Lilywhites for his entire career.
Thierry Henry once said he was the best defender he ever played against. Some statement, I know. But in his prime, his pace, composure and ability to win last ditch tackles was invaluable to Tottenham.
Once scoring the fastest goal in Premier League history, he was like a breath of fresh air when he was fully fit. But unfortunately, those times were few and far between in his later career.
In that turbulent time, King didn’t train. He couldn’t. His knee would blow up after playing, meaning he couldn’t make two appearances in a week. It was simple; Tottenham had much more of a chance when he played.
His only major honor to show for his disrupted career was a League Cup trophy in 2008. Beating Arsenal in the semis and Chelsea the final, King was typically instrumental to their success, of course.
His injuries also affected his international career, limiting him to 21 caps for England, a list which surely would have been elevated if he shook off his persistent injuries.
It was a career sadly cut short, and he retired in the summer of 2012. He’s now in an ambassadorial role at his club, aged just 32. I’d still rather see him on the pitch, he had so much more to give.
Ledley King, a career so tragically cut short, but so good that he’ll never be forgotten.
