Long lived the King…
The former club captain is as laid back as they come. A stylish player who became a firm fan favourite and quite simply a footballing icon in North London. Yes, Thierry Henry would have a strong argument to being Arsenal's greatest ever player. A record of 228 goals in 376 games, topping Ian Wright and Cliff Bastin's records, holds sway. But upon asked who his toughest opponent was in Match magazine he named, the unlikely-to-many Ledley King. Henry cited the Tottenham club captain's ability to nick the ball off him without resort to dark arts or overly physical means. King was, in his opinion, a master of timing and judgement. Of course, with Spurs and Arsenal's rivalry there could be some political interference here but there can be no doubting that King impressed many who saw him play.
And Ledley was rated. Many believe that he could have overtaken Rio Ferdinand or John Terry as a golden defender at the heart of the English team were it not for his well-documented injuries. Maybe this is hyperbole – King even at his peak wasn't linked with transfers to the biggest clubs as would befit a world class centre half, but there can be no doubting of his value to successive Tottenham managers, and in general, the way he impressed all those who watched him play, not least three England managers. He was, to many, 'a Rolls Royce' of a player, as Martin Jol declared back in 2007.
King dealt in security, offering reliability to an often listing Tottenham defence that always looked more tangible with Ledley's impeccable measured tackles anchoring the central areas. His reading of the game was formidable, and at his peak he could match the best with his pace, acceleration and strength in the air, witness the last-gasp tackles on Arjen Robben at White Hart Lane in November 2006 and even early last season as he slid in to deny Clint Dempsey surely scoring at Craven Cottage. Indeed, he reduced Henry to a bit-part for England in the opening game of Euro 2004, filling in admirably after a late injury to Rio Ferdinand (and demonstrating what might have been, as a partnership with Sol Campbell exuded natural understanding and sheer excellence). Later he shined in London derbies, becoming a key player as Spurs advanced from the pack to become a team of genuine ambition. King recently said that he was injured within three minutes of making his full debut against Derby in 1999 at the age of 19, a blow to his knee that would continue to affect him throughout his career. He confessed of the damage and how it would impose itself on him: "I quickly grasped that I was never going to be as good as I wanted to be but I still felt I could be very good." How good could he have been will remain a drinking debate along the Tottenham High Road for many years to come.
Ledley was always so relaxed, his shoulders betraying a constant easiness and confident demeanor that rubbed off on his play. He was a leader-by-example type, commanding respect as he did the six-yard box. He said the right things, rather than squawking from the back. And in the same vein did he play. There was nary an unsightly kerfuffle with his defending. Just a well-timed tackle, swift dispossession and play on. He was a classy protector of the Tottenham goal, a security guard dressed in lillywhite silk, a man of tremendous gift and a cornerstone of the club's advancement. Ledley King could have been named by Dickens such was the appropriateness of his moniker. Tiger Woods, Usain Bolt, Ledley King: men named in advance.
