Tottenham Hotspur’s Ledley King retired from football yesterday, but what about the Sheffield Wednesday star, and former West Ham, Blackburn Rovers, and Manchester City players who have seen their careers blighted?
Any sportsman having to curtail their career is a sad tale and the case of Ledley King is no different. This one seems especially hard to swallow as for the last 5 years you have watched this man put himself through unbearable amounts of physical hardship just to play 90 minutes of football.
In my opinion Ledley King is the most naturally gifted English centre back of the last 10 years; and without his physical misfortunes would have greatly surpassed his frankly upsetting tally of 21 England caps. Injury preventing Englishmen from truly achieving their potential with the Three Lions is unfortunately familiar.
Chris Kirkland – 1 cap
Kirkland signed my programme at an England Under 21 international and as a 12 year old budding goalkeeper it was a dream to meet the man who would surely become England’s number 1 keeper. Kirkland didn’t play in that game; injured in the warm up; a prophecy for the rest of his career. Blighted by various injuries he never achieved his international potential with one solitary cap in 2006; infamously earning his dad 10,000 pounds on a bet that his then eleven year old son would represent England before his 30th birthday. He is currently at Championship club Sheffield Wednesday.
Dean Ashton – 1 cap
Ashton has become a huge ‘what if?’ story of modern English Football. He was tipped for a long and prosperous international future that never came to fruition after a serious ankle break in 2006 finally terminating his career in 2009 aged just 26.
Paul Lake – 0 caps
Paul Lake’s autobiography I’m Not Really Here talks of the personal battle with his injury woes candidly and was shortlisted for a British Sports Book Award 2012. A member of Manchester City’s 1986 FA Youth Cup winning side he was even tipped to captain his country. Fate intervened with a series of knee injuries and Lake retired in 1996. His book however is a brilliant insight into the mind and life of a professional footballer and definitely worth a read.
Matt Jansen – 0 caps
The main subject matter of my university thesis on Psychology of Injury, Jansen was left out of Svens 2002 World Cup squad, replaced by Martin Keown at the 11th hour. That summer during a getaway in Rome Matt was involved in a moped accident fracturing his skull and doing worse to his confidence. Never fully regaining his self belief at professional level and after several failed comebacks he moved to the lower leagues where he is now at Chorley FC.
What are your memories of Ledley King’s career? Would he have been the best English centre back of his generation?
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