Japhet Tanganga has hailed Ledley King and how he has been ‘very important’ to the Tottenham players, as posted by Football London.
The rising Spurs defender added that he can use King’s experience and ‘intelligence’ in his favour and he also shared that the now-departed Jan Vertonghen helped him in his new role of playing at fullback.
Tanganga is a centre-back by nature and that’s where he’ll probably end up in his career. But for now, he is being used in the fullback areas by Jose Mourinho.
Ahead of Tottenham’s Europa League clash against Antwerp tonight, Tanganga was full of praise for King and he also gave a mention to Vertonghen.
On King: “I think it is very important and it has helped a lot of the defensive players,” said Tanganga. “Whether it is in training or extras, asking him what you can improve on to the point of watching other games, and having his mind, someone who has been in the game for such a long time, you can use his intelligence, his mindset of what he knows and how to improve.
“For us, it has been very important because we have the tool to better ourselves and better ourselves defensively.
“I’ve got help from people, even last season with Jan [Vertonghen] playing left-back sometimes so he was able to help me. It is just asking people, watching other people’s clips and what they do and using that to help myself.”
Whilst injuries ruined his chances of becoming one of the great players of his generation, King was an absolute monster of a defender during his time.
Even the great Thierry Henry mentioned how the now 40-year-old Spurs coach was his toughest opponent, which is a massive compliment from a man who is probably the greatest striker to have graced Premier League shores during the last two decades.
But Tanganga is his own player and with King in the background, Mourinho on the touchline, he has some great people to learn off and grow.
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