Ledley King admits that he was concerned about embarrassing himself when he featured for Tottenham Legends against Milan Glorie earlier this year, as he had hardly kicked a ball since his retirement.
King is revered at Spurs for being a one-club man, and many fans consider the former Tottenham captain to be the greatest centre-back the club has had in the Premier League era.
Despite not even being able to train during the latter part of his career due to his knee problems, he would be the best player on the pitch nearly every weekend.
Tottenham fans always had a feeling of safety when they saw King’s name on the teamsheet on a matchday, as the Englishman exuded calm to the backline and marshalled his fellow defenders impressively.
Ledley King has only managed to play twice since Tottenham retirement
The centre-back’s knee issues forced him into an early retirement, and understandably, he has hardly kicked a ball since hanging up his boots 13 years ago.
When he was asked to captain Tottenham in the Legends game against Milan Glorie in March, which Spurs won 6-2, King admits that he was nervous about embarrassing himself in front of a new generation of Spurs fans, who would have had high expectations of him.
When asked about featuring in the legends game at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, the 44-year-old told OLGB: “In a different stadium. It was strange (playing in the legends game). I think I’ve played football twice in the 13 years since I’ve retired.
“So there were a few nerves, just mainly because I knew there were going to be some young kids who were watching, whose dads had probably told them that I was a good player back then and I’m not moving too well these days, so I had to prepare for it a little bit.
“It was great to be amongst old teammates back in the changing room, that banter. But I wanted to go on the pitch and not embarrass myself. I promised myself half an hour was my max. I didn’t want to get any injuries.
“It was a great occasion, as I say. To be back amongst old teammates was a special feeling and of course, to play in the stadium for the first time for me was brilliant.”
Ledley King is a big fan of two current Spurs stars
First, he was a one-club man, then he was a loyal Tottenham ambassador, then Jose Mourinho made him a first-team coach. Ledley King has well and truly done it all at Spurs.
Over his decades in North London, King has surely picked up an eye for talent, and he has been impressed with two current Tottenham stars over the past 12 months.
King says that Lucas Bergvall has the unique ability to lift the Spurs crowd: “One thing that probably doesn’t stand out is just how big Lucas is and how physical he is. For someone so young he knows how to get stuck in and he has great intensity in terms of his pressing.
“We speak about lifting crowds, he can do that with his pressing, his running, his enthusiasm to win the ball back at times. He can dribble, he can pass, I’ve been really impressed with him.”
King even thinks one Tottenham player could move further forward like Gareth Bale once did: “He looks like someone who could play further forward, in fact, that’s how good he looks going forward.”
READ MORE: Ledley King reveals unexpected thing that happened after Tottenham’s Europa League win
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