Ledley King. A superman with a knee made of kryptonite.
Thursday, July 19, 2012 at 8:16PM Ledley King has been in a perpetual state of retirement for years. The piece below is poignant, something I wrote for 2Hal/ves, a one-shot fanzine released on the day of the North London derby in October, 2009.
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Ledley will always be our King
Henry Percy (otherwise known as ‘Harry Hotspur’) acquired a reputation as a warrior supreme. Unfortunately he was cut down in his prime – struck by a fatal arrow in the midst of battle. The greatest Hotspur warrior of the modern age, Ledley King, is proving rather more difficult to best - no fatal arrow to the face, just plenty of kicks to the knee.
Ledley remains a colossus in defence, always unnerved and influential. He is strong, fast and wonderfully talented. More than all these things, he is loyal - to the bone.
Thankfully, there’s no chance of him befalling the same fate as the esteemed Percy. On the field of play the only thing he might get struck by is an opposition elbow or a water bottle. In spite of the relative safety of the football pitch, a disconcerting nod from the club doctor has become an unavoidable hazard in recent years.
He might now be a one game per week player, but such is the quality he possesses it remains worth retaining his services on a full time basis. Pound-for-pound, he is arguably one of the very best England has to offer. Some of the more cynical amongst you might even argue that if he didn’t have his knee troubles he’d probably be a Man Utd player. But injury is not the only reason why we have yet to be graced by a Daniel Levy announcement justifying a £30m transfer of King to Old Trafford (along with a generous donation to the Tottenham Foundation). Ledley has remained unquestionably loyal to the core throughout his time at the Lane.
Ledley is a loyal committed servant who gets wrapped up in cotton wool more often than not. A servant who (out of necessity) doesn’t spend much time training, and yet displays effortless class on the pitch with athleticism befitting someone who does train all week long. He’s a millionaire and yet persists in having injections in his knee so he can continue to play the game he so obviously loves. For all we know he could be exacerbating the damage and running the risk of serious problems in later life. And yet his commitment remains unparalleled.
He wears his heart on his sleeve and he positively runs it out for us every time he starts, home or away. He brings stability at the back and although he’s not a shouter, his mere presence inspires his team mates to excel, mainly by virtue of the air of confidence he oozes rubbing off on others around him.
King is deserving of Champions League football and yet has never turned his back on us and looked for it elsewhere – unlike another centre-back who falsely professed loyalty. King has so much quality that if he had asked his agent to go looking he would not have been short of suitors.
If Fergie is happy to take a risk on Owen, there is no doubting that he’d gamble on Ledley. And yet here we are: one contract with Spurs followed by another. He’s never even considered another club’s colours. Now before you all accuse me of sentimentality and exaggeration and suggest this article is nothing more than a press release for a forthcoming Spurs Shop DVD, understand this: In this day and age, there are few players a football fan can genuinely respect and admire. And Ledley is someone who is respected and admired by all, regardless of the colour of the scarf. He’s a class act. Plain and simple. Every fan would want a player like King in their team.
Ledley King is not just a warrior. He’s not just a loyal Spurs fan that remains committed to the club and its fans as player and captain. He’s one of us. Tottenham through-and-through. Lilywhite blood. The tenacity of a Mackay or Roberts without the need for bullish growling. Ledley the gentle giant quietly sticks forwards into his back pocket and goes about his business patrolling the backline making sure nobody knocks over the ‘You shall not pass’ sign.
We are stronger when he pulls on the shirt. His composure brings calm to the backbone of the side. He’s no pretender. He’s the real deal. All this with one knee. Ledley King IS Mr Tottenham Hotspur. The spirit of Harry Hotspur lives on. And long may he dodge that final concluding arrow.
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A graceful footballer, a gentleman on and off the pitch (excluding any excursions to Faces nightclub) and the one magnificent constant when surrounded by so many inconsistencies. The finest defender I've ever seen. Easily the best of his (and my) generation in Lilywhite. Inspirational. Calm and composed. He could read the game with supreme intelligence with no necessity to tackle half as often as others might do, prefering to throw themselves at an opposing player. When forwards pelted towards the ball, he'd breeze past them, comfortably jogging before nicking the ball tidy as you like. With one knee he ruled Tottenham, with two he'd have conquered the world twice over. Overboard with the sentimentality and plaudits? Probably, but then what's the likelihood of us doing this for another Spurs player in the next twenty years?
I have been here since I was a boy, I have always considered it my Club and have always found it hard to imagine wearing the shirt of another team
Thank you Ledley for seventeen years service (fourteen years in the first team). Over three hundred appearances, scored more goals than yellow cards received, no red cards and countless strikers sat firmly in your back pocket. You played football with one knee and yet you were still comfortably better than most. You didn't even have to train, that's how easy you made it look. The travesty is when you spend a little time considering what you might have achieved with no injury plight to fragment and puncture every season. Yet you have still imprinted yourself on our club, iconic forever. You could have quit the game years ago, didn't, but it's the right decision for you to now abdicate your throne. The time for a new hero is now upon us.
Onwards Ledley King, club ambassador.
Testimonial confirmed.
Reader Comments (29)
A Spurs great for sure im glad he has a role within the club ,Vertogen you know what you must live up to .
COYS
Ledley. King. Gent. Legend.
Oh captain my captain.
The eulogies of Ledley's career have had me close to tears today. He was magnificent, he was loyal, he was one of us.
Can't wait for that testimonial.
Enjoy your retirement Ledley.
If there's one person on this planet that i would like to pay a tribute in words to the great Ledley King it's you Spooky.... beautifully written well done, take a bow. This man will be a legend forever for all the things you have mentioned above, I'm just so pleased he played for us, many fond memories that will be with me till the day i stop breathing. Our hero on the pitch has now become an ambassador for our club.... You are admired by all football fans, but adored by spurs fans. so pleased you stayed with us throughout your career, and even more pleased you will carry on working with the club in your new role.
This is a sad day for us fans and Ledders we have lost our King a great ruler of his defence and his domain White heart lane. We could all see he was struggling and this hurt us but because Harry had loaned every one who stood still including our subs. This meant poor Ledders played on one leg even with this handicap he gave his all and i will miss him and pray Vertonghen or the next in line to his throne Caulker fills his big boots and even bigger Heart. Thanks for all the loyal years and one day you could become our new coach God Bless You Mr Ledly King and your future .
The club should retire is shirt number, and a nice touch would be at the new stadium name a stand The Ledley King Stand
Regardless of injuries, IMHO Ledley was the finest defender of his generation. Forget Utd, he could have been the lynchpin in the Barca defence. Ledley could pass, tackle and was ever so composed on the ball and as you rightly said more goals than yellow cards, indicative of his talent in this day and age (I remember the season when he got booked only once and that was for a handball!) Absolutely a class act both on and off the pitch. Thanks to a true Spurs legend for everything you did for the club because lets face it for most of the time he was here the players surrounding him were not fit to lace his boots.
steve perryman, gary mabbutt, ledley king. how blessed we have been. legends all, and what a back line. COYS
A Club Legend. Sorry Mabbutt, but The King has replaced you as my all time fav Spurs defender. You're going to be missed as a player, glad to hear the club will create a new position for you. Fully deserved!
So gutted he will never wear the shirt again (except his Testimonial maybe?) (He deserves a second testimonial in the new stadium as well btw)
It's a sad sad day.
Ledley King, for your supreme defensive skill, your masterful reading of the play in front of you, your total commitment to the cause, your courage, your quickness of foot, your loyalty, your encouragement to younger players, your leadership qualities, your humility and prehaps most important of all your obvious and unashamed love for Tottenham Hotspur Football Club we can only say a hearfelt thank you for all you have done for the club we love. I am sure I speak for all true Spurs supporters in wishing you a happy retirement with your family and look forward to hearing all the good work you will be doing as an ambassador of this famous club.
Thank you once again Ledley for all you did for us.
This said it all:
seventeen years service (fourteen years in the first team). Over three hundred appearances, scored more goals than yellow cards received, no red cards
You had me in tears reading how such a unique player this guy is. He burst on to the scene just as judas left. He was our consolation in time of despair, he was our rock in time of uncertainty. He will never be duplicated. A 1 man team, surely the last of the Mahicans. Enjoy your retirement and thank you for staying loyal to the end of your career.
Well today has pretty much decided what name and number go on my spurs shirt. Not bought one in 5 years.
The last of our one-club legends? Perhaps, in these fickle materialistic times. Not just a great player, a great man who endured long, gruelling physical torment alone and apart just so he could turn out in his club's colours. Lesser men would have folded sooner, but not our King.
Big loves to the big man. We'll miss you but won't forget you.
Never red carded! That is surely unheard of for a centre back in these times. Such GRACE for a big man.
Glad you re-posted this spooks. He deserves all the plaudits and more. Best defender I have ever seen, and regardless of the circumstances, we were incredibly lucky to have him. Nourredine Naybet, someone that I believe helped Ledley get that extra few final percent to become the-best-defender-in-the-world, will begin fasting tonight. I fear that we'll be fasting for much longer than that, until we witness another that can wear Ledley's crown.
Thanks for a captains performance v chelscum LCF 2008. To see Terry and Lampard pick up losers medals. Priceless.
Class.
We are not worthy! The ULTIMATE modern day centre half, Ledley the KING of White Hart Lane!!
It has been an honour and privilege seeing live, the number one Premier League defender gracing and leading our beloved Spurs with dignity and loyalty.
i think it was against chelsea at home when he ran back and made a ridiculous tackle that stopped an almost certain goal
have never cheered a defensive tackle like that before. ever. it was like he had scored.
long live the king.
Saw him play against Pompey away when Defoe
got sent off and we won 2-1. World class in my opinion.
He's only got one knee
He's better than John Terry
Oh Ledley, Ledley
One of the best we've ever seen
Weird to think I'll never hear his name in the squad line up again. Magnificent defender and a better man that John Terry, oh Ledley, Ledley.
Here's a quote from Knappy today,"At the end of the season he was struggling, we were struggling at centre half, we had injuries, and maybe he played one or two games too many...." - Not wanting to spoil this post dedicated to the king but just amused and wanted to point out Knap's use of - "we" - pronouns after the fact.
This is about the King though, so just glad to say that I've seen one dedicated player at our club in my recent lifetime. Very apt sending off Spooky, the only straight sending off Ledders ever received in his career, was the one that he was his retirement. I would actually like to also buy one of those nice nifty jerseys we've got this season with the King and his number on it.
Also, Davspurs' comment was the most touching and coherent I've ever seen from him. Good on ye.
Last, I'm guessin by now everyone has seen by now that we're apparently officially partnered with EA Sports, Fifa for the next three years - which means finally the lads on the screen will actually look like the ones in real life. Finally some gatdamn respect around here. This news also irritates a lot of gooners, so it makes it even better news. - That's for those who care anything for the Fifa games at all.
Again, hail to the King! Coys
Good article as usual Spooky. Hope that Caulker will use the King as his idol to imitate. To the King; "God bless you and have a happy retirement".
King in name and nature .... thierry henry said he was the best and he has faced one or two.... For me the greatest performance was against andy carroll and liverpool last year..... on one leg and already on the wane he still had more than enough to put carroll in his pocket... My favourite player of the past 30 years by a country mile.
Deserves every plaudit he has ever recieved...spurs and football are a helluva a lot poorer this morning following this news
I've just gone out and bought a ferrari. I'm now going to rev the sh&t out of the engine to do my shopping at Asda when I should have been taking it out for a leisurely Sunday drive to Harrods and leaving it outside to make everyone jealous.
Yesterday it felt almost as bad as when I found out my ex-girlfriend was sh&gging a taxi driver. That's how much you mean to me Ledley.
Hull away 2008. We won 1-0. You and Woody put on the most masterly display of central defending that I think I will ever see.
Please stick around and work on bringing our young defensive talent through. Let us create a 1000 defenders in your image.
On the first day, God made Ledley and he was good, very good.
a fitting tribute to the clubs greats (levy) which ledley king no doubt is would be a set of well designed bronze statues around or in the inner areas of the the new stadium......true heritage.......
I back the sentiments already mentioned, thanks for being a great pro and a great example to all players young and old alike. The mans surname personifies his conduct imo, wishing you all the best Ledley. Cheers mate!!
I've mostly given up crying ......... but I donated you a few tears this week, Led ......
Thanks for everything. You were our rock and our comfort, even when it was dark everywhere else.