Ledley King has admitted that he is surprised by the path that several of his former Tottenham and England teammates have taken post-retirement.
Fans love to predict which players will go into coaching or into the media post-retirement.
Many Spurs fans would feel that from the current squad, James Maddison looks tailor-made for a career in punditry, while Ben Davies potentially has a future in coaching.
However, King has now pointed out how it is impossible to predict what players will do once they hang up his boots, having been left surprised by the path many of his former teammates have taken.
Ledley King did not expect Jermain Defoe to get into coaching
Defoe spent two years as an academy coach at Tottenham before leaving last summer to pursue further opportunities.
King has now revealed that while he could have predicted that the likes of Robbie Keane, Steven Gerrard and Frank Lampard would get into coaching, he would have never guessed that the likes of Defoe and Wayne Rooney would go that route.
Tottenham’s legendary centre-back, who had a brief period as a first-team coach at Spurs a few years ago, told OLGB: “It’s strange because a lot of players that you think are going to go into it don’t actually end up going into it. If I looked at the England squad, I would have said Gary Neville for sure.
“I know he had a dabble, but I would have said for sure. I would have probably said Jamie Carragher. I would have said Stevie G. In a way, maybe Frank Lampard as well, I could have seen.
“I probably wouldn’t have said Rooney and he now has a real passion for coaching and managing so yeah, you just never know. Jermain Defoe is someone who wants to be a manager now. He’s done his badges and I would have never in a million years said, I played with Jermain for many years, he would go into coaching.
“I know Aaron Lennon loves coaching now. He started to do a bit. I would have never said him. I probably would have said Michael Dawson. I would have said Danny Murphy, who I played with, who’s not doing it. Robbie Keane is doing it at the moment and doing a really, really good job but he’s someone who I could have seen.
“You just never know. There are a few that have followed that path that I wouldn’t have expected and quite a few that would have been adamant that would have gone into it that haven’t.”
Defoe has major Tottenham ambitions
Last year, Jermain Defoe admitted that he dreams of becoming Tottenham’s head coach one day as he starts his coaching journey.
The 42-year-old remains one of the most popular figures to ever play at White Hart Lane, and there is no doubt that supporters will be thrilled to have him in the dugout one day.
However, the former Spurs striker would first have to cut his teeth at the lower level and work his way up. Given the close relationship Defoe shares with Daniel Levy, there is no doubt that the Tottenham hierarchy will be keeping a close eye on his progress.
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