Years after his retirement, it’s still sad to think what could have been for Ledley King at Tottenham Hotspur.
The now-36-year-old former defender is currently enjoying his role as club ambassador at White Hart Lane, but his legacy with the club should have been so much greater. Whether it was bad timing or chronic knee injuries, King was never able to capitalise on the obvious potential that he had on the pitch.
All you need to do is look back through his career in order to see why the guy is so missed. King’s leadership, impeccable strength and ability to read the game was unlike any centre back we had ever seen.
The England international was able to win the ball back without even having to go to the ground, and throughout his career he only picked up eight yellow cards. Whilst things were cut short due to injury, that is still fairly impressive.
Tottenham club ambassador Ledley King during training
King carved out a reputation for himself as a cult hero at Tottenham, and given that he is still relatively young it’s heartbreaking to consider the fact that he would probably still be playing to this day. Ledley was able to change games completely, and in one season the club managed just three clean sheets in his absence.
Finding franchise-esque defenders is a rarity in football, but that’s exactly what Ledley King was every time he stepped out on to the pitch.
Ledley King poses with the Capital One Cup
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