Premier League legend ignored doctors’ advice to retire at 27 due to lack of training.
Former Tottenham star Ledley King has revealed that he was hardly training during the latter stages of his career to ensure that he was fit to play matches. The defender was advised to retire by Spurs doctors when he was 27 and eventually hung up his boots at the age of 31 due to recurring injury problems. Throughout his career, King struggled with knee problems, despite the absence of any treatment or surgery that could resolve the issue as he did not have any cartilage in his knee.
This led to severe pain during matches and the days which followed, resulting in his knee swelling up after games. As a result, Tottenham staff suggested that he avoid training so that he could be available for matches. King admitted to missing training due to knee problems from the age of 25, and for five years from 26 to 31, he barely trained, only playing matches and managing the swelling in his knee afterward.
Eventually, he realized that he was not helping the team and decided to retire upon consulting with his surgeon. Four years prior to retiring, King was advised by doctors that he was causing immense damage to his knee by continuing to compete at the highest level. Despite his struggles, former Spurs manager Harry Redknapp praised King for his superhuman efforts in putting in monstrous defensive displays on a weekly basis, believing his presence significantly improved the team’s performance, irrespective of his training involvement.
