Time for the King to abdicate his throne
Sunday, June 3, 2012 at 8:02PM We won't know Ledley King's decision until pre-season when he decides whether to finally hang up his boots and take one of the options Spurs have offered him, hopefully a coaching role. You don't have to do much reading between the lines here. It's obvious the club and the player believe it's time to hang up the boots. However, the last sentence from the official club update is the one that manages to help retain a smile on my face.
"Tottenham has been the only Club for me and if I can’t play here then I shall look to be involved in another capacity."
Ledley might not reappear in a Lilywhite shirt on the pitch (aside from a testimonial please) but his heart will always be Tottenham off it. Keeping him on at Spurs is imperative. The man lives for the club and we love him for it so it's a pretty obvious way to continue the affair. Quite simply the best defender of his (England) generation. The most obvious thing to echo here would be the what ifs. You know, what if he had two working knees. I was looking back at the archives of this blog and found an article from 2009. An article that could have been written for any one of the past five years.
Ledley will always be our King
Tuesday, March 10, 2009 at 12:03PMI'm a bit bored at the moment. There's a slight lull in stories worthy of commentary. Other than maybe the news that Ledley King could play in the remaining 10 fixtures for Spurs. According to our oracle of football, Harry Redknapp. This following on from the recent lack of contract talks that won't be taking place just yet between club and player.
King (with Spurs no longer having midweek games to concern themselves with) can now look forward to Ledders being available once per week with plenty of recovery time in-between. As long as the old knee doesn't give way. Is he prolonging the inevitable? Is he sustaining long term permanent damage to his knees every time he plays for us? How long will he persist with this? Equally important to ask whether Spurs will have to make a decision on King's future based on his availability. You can't build a defence around a part-time player. But when the player is this good, do you allow for a concession? Heart says yes. So does the head, but more so the heart.
As for the potential of a new contract, that really depends on whether this is it for the rest of his career. This being 'play when injected with magic' but only half the time and never twice in a week. It's sad. A fully fit Ledley King would be a fully fledged England international. And probably a Man Utd player. But there's no doubt he'd be a defender at the top of his game with countless clubs courting him - in a world with no knee trouble. He's still capable of exceptional performances for us - but still in a part-time capacity. Which is why we are probably not reading a Daniel Levy club announcement justifying a £25M transfer of King to Old Trafford.
What we have instead is a loyal committed servant who gets wrapped up in cotton wool more often than running out in Lilywhite. As long as he is not aggravating his knee problems with the injections and continuing to play professional football then I'm happy to have him at the club and the club should make sure he remains there till he hangs his boots up. I hope there is not a single ounce of truth that doctors advised him to quit or risk serious damage.
Also, I'm not suggesting Ledley is still with us only because of his injury plight. The bloke is no Sol Campbell. Ledley is honest and loves the club. He wants to be at White Hart Lane and in the past possibly could have flirted with a Champions League club if he wanted to. But if he was 110%, he'd be tested, along with the chairman. That's a sure thing. But he'd never walk the way Judas did. Personally hope he does start the big big away games we have at Villa, Everton, Man Utd and Liverpool. Dawson is a fine understudy to have on current form. I'm still staggered by the fact that King never trains.
Machine, right?
It dawned on me that it almost feels like his entire career has been dominated by his plight. I can't remember when he didn't have a dodgy knee. Every season it's the same struggles and yet aside from the difficulties experienced this past year, he has been majestic and graceful with the sublime ability to read the game seconds faster than those around him. He went beyond the usual blood-and-thunder-feet-in grunting of the more obvious centre-halves. Didn't need to tackle as much as others either, he just got to the ball before the attacker did. His back pocket rarely empty. His pace was like lightning dancing on a sea of electricity. You know what I'm referring to. Stuff like the Robben tackle. A piece of defending as great as any goal scored. That was King all over. The impossible made easy. You'd run, he'd jog right past you.
When he didn't play well, you couldn't quite believe it, such was the rarity of such a performance. Listen to me, talking about him like he's no longer with us. Still, we knew this moment was coming. He's got to do the right thing for himself. He's a club legend. So it's good to see the club actively seeking to retain his services. They failed to do the same with Stevie Perryman (get well soon).
I don't think it really matters, the what ifs. Fact is, he could have so easily given up years ago, lost focus or allowed his fitness to fade away due to lack of game time. There he was though, never having to train and yet playing like he hasn't stopped training. Every single season he's pulled on the shirt and he's been a colossus at the back. Such an influence, a true club captain. For the good of his own well being and Spurs going forward, it's time for new blood. Kaboul, Caluker, perhaps even Vertonghen could probably do with having someone of King's stature at the club as a nod towards what you can achieve as a player in the most purist form. That's unequivocal commitment to the Cockerel. If they get within 50% of what Ledley has given through sheer guts and heart then both will be very successful at Spurs.
Onwards.
Reader Comments (13)
there are two things that I wish for with regards to ledley 1. he has a testimonial 2. I get a ticket for it.
Was that blog really 3 years ago? I remember thinking at the time that he'd never leave for any sum or anything and wishing that Led was 100% just to put it to the test. We'll never know, but perhaps we do 'cos Ledders is Tottenham to the core and the powers that are should see that his services are retained in a suitable capacity. Like you say, not another Stevie P mistake please.
i agree with both the comments above, a true legend, hero and example to all young players everywhere. long live the king!!!
If you do decide to retire Ledley, and I for one hope that you do, for the sake of your own health in years to come and for your family, you will retire with the blessing and heartfelt thanks of all true Spurs supporters. Aside from the fact that you were the best English central defender of your generation your love and loaylty to Spurs shines through like a beacon to the people who are the most important, the true supporters of the club. In a world where money comes first, no amount of it could buy what you have given to this club. The man who stands on the terrace home and away knows in his heart of hearts if we could have a team of players who have loved the club from the time the first understood the game of football we would be unbeatable.
Thank you Ledley, for loving our club as much as we all do, thank you for your unswerving loyalty, thank you for being the great player we all know you are, thank you for playing through the pain barrier when we needed you, and finally thank you being exactly what your name says you are, a King.
I so hope you will stay at Spurs in a coaching capacity, not only do you deserve it but it would be an honour for the club and that is an accolade that is given to very few players to have worn the white shirt of Tottenham Hotspur.
I wish you and your family all the best whatever you decide to do.
If ledley never plays for spurs again (and i'm really torn here a) i dont want him to cripple himself anymore than he already has for our beloved THFC and b) i really cannot imagine a spurs season without seeing his majestic reading of the game however infrequent they may be) i will forever remember him as the classiest defender in the premier league bar none...... Ferdinand and Terry both know they are lucky to have got the caps they have due to ledleys knees... not that they are bad players, they arent, in fact they are both world class players in their own right....they just aint at ledleys level.
I reckon it will play out as ledley as a player coach for the season, pitching in with the kids/support squad in the europa league, before becoming a full time coach at some point in the future...
Worship the man and his talents and can only say ... look at the words of the best premier league strikers of the past 15 or so years regarding who was the best defender they faced.......Wright/berkamp/henry/cole, they all refer to our Mr King..
Whatever happens thank you ledley king!!
I echo all the love here - I was at his first game and straight away I knew we wouldn't miss Campbell.
I did just want to say this though; I don't really want him to be a coach. I don't want him in a position where we might in the future have to ask him to leave. I want him as life president or take an ambassadorial role or a Vieira role (whatever that is). He really should be more than just an ex-player taking his badges, he is and should continue to be the face of our club.
Legend is a word that is used to easily but no doubt this man deserves it. If we have a defender as good as him in the next twenty years we will be a lucky team.
A Spurs Man through and through !
Thanks for everything Ledley, - you will forever be in our hearts.
I just want to echo Harmer's comments above.
I've been a Spurs fan for more than forty years and I've never been as emotional about the possibility of losing a player since we let Pat Jennings go to the dark side. Ledley has been an absolute beacon of light in the years of recent mediocrity.A true world class player. The fact that he's done so well for us, for such a long time, on one leg just goes to show the absolute class, commitment and loyalty that he has shown the club. Ledley, I wish you all the best for best for the future and sincerely hope that you will stop before you hurt yourself permanently. Here's hoping that you continue to stay involved with the club for as long as you want to. Thank you for all of your memorable performances and retire with our love and thanks.
The word legend is often used incorrectly. So please let us use the word only when it's really really in it's place.
Ledley King IS a legend. He will forever be a legend - I'm a grown man, but I am going to have tears in my eyes when he decide to retire.
Love the Shirt. Love the MAN!
What about the England game where he played in front of the back four ? Nothing got past him - it was a masterclass. Tributes above are spot on. If he's played his last game for us, it's imperative he stays in some role - mentor, inspiration, coach, defensive adviser, whatever.
I'm really glad tat Redknapp/ someone at Spurs finally found a way to get some games out of Ledley. Under Ramos King didn't play at all, because he couldn't train - it took balls from his successor to try the unconventional tactic of allowing King to swim in the pool all week, and then just turn up and put in an excellent performance on match day. I've never heard of another Premiership player who played so consistently without training, so kudos to someone for getting a few more years and some excellent performances out of a man who could well ave retired three years ago.
Deadly Ledley is a legend and I wish him all the best; hope he can transfer his reading of the game into a good coaching career at Spurs. Stephen Caulker could learn a lot from him.