King keen to play part in retirement

Tottenham's Ledley King is disappointed to be calling time on his playing career but looking forward to a future with the north Londoners off the field.

The 31-year-old centre-back has spent his entire career at White Hart Lane and captained the side since 2005. King, though, has long suffered from chronic knee problems, which limited his game and training time in recent years.

Rumours were abound this summer that such issues would force him to quit and that was confirmed by the defender on Thursday. He told the club's official website, www.tottenhamhotspur.com: "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."

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