Ledley King is a former English footballer who played for the North London football club Tottenham Hotspur from 1998-2012, his whole career. King played as a central defender, later serving as captain, and has been consistently referred to as one of the best players for the club. King was faced with the misfortune of several severe knee problems, for which a solution could not be procured. Despite this enormous setback he was able to continue playing at Premiership level even though he was unable to train – his fortitude and skill earning him comprehensive praise from teammates, opponents and pundits. Ultimately he was forced to retire early because of the repeated strain from his injuries, 2012.King is available for booking through MN2S Agency.
Born in Bow, King was a keen footballer as a youth, playing for Senrab FC and the Tower Hamlets district representative team. King began his time with Tottenham Hotspur through their youth training programme at the age of 16, and his participation saw him identified as having similar qualities and instincts to English footballing legend Bobby Moore.
In May 1996, King made his debut for his club against Liverpool at Anfield. Within a year he had established himself as a regular in the Spurs line-up. His first goal for the team, in an away game against Bradford City, set a new Premier League record, hitting the back of the net after an astonishing mere10 seconds. In the wake of his stellar performances for Tottenham there was much talk of King moving to the club’s main rival of Chelsea. However, he turned down the opportunity to play for the title contenders, staying loyal to the club that had given him his big break.
2006 saw King suffer from his first knee injury, and as a result was delayed in starting the season. Further injuries to his metatarsal meant that King was unable to play in over half of Tottenham’s matches and would only appear sporadically for the next several seasons. This did not stop King continuing to pick up accolades and receiving praise for his style of play – in 2008, he received the award at the ‘Get on with the Game’ event and was also a recipient of the trophy for the cleanest team in the Premier League. However, King’s injuries continued to plague him. Coach Harry Redknapp commented:
“There’s no cure. There’s no cartilage, nothing to operate on. It’s just bone on bone. So it’s just a question of managing it. It swells up after games and it normally takes seven days to recover but having played on Monday night he’s had less time than usual. He rarely trains, he mostly just goes to the gym to keep himself ticking over. But not running or anything like that. But even if he only plays 20 games a season, he’s worth having because he’s so good we have a much better chance of winning.”
This setback did not stop King from qualifying for Fabio Capello’s England squad for the 2010 FIFA World Cup in South Africa. King was offered a further two year extension on his contract with Tottenham Hotspur in 2010 but in 2012 he announced his retirement from football, although continuing his work with Spurs as a club ambassador. His retirement was greeted with sadness from both fans and professional peers who lamented the persistent injuries that prevented him from reaching his full potential as a centre back.
Besides his ambassadorial duties, King also appears on Sky Sports as a pundit. His widely revered skill and admirable dedication have also seen him become a popular choice for an after dinner speaker, as a man who remained motivated and dedicated in the face of setbacks.
Although King’s career may have been prematurely cut short, his impact is something unlikely to ever be forgotten. A statue was erected to the player in Mile End Park in 2011 and he frequently features on rankings of Tottenham’s best players of all time, coming in at number 25 in the Times 2009 feature. To book Ledley King as an after dinner speaker, to appear at corporate and private events, or for brand opportunities, please contact MN2S Talent Agency.