Tottenham boss Harry Redknapp has hailed Ledley King for not giving in to injury.
White Hart Lane boss delighted with defender after victory
Tottenham Hotspur manager Harry Redknapp has hailed the determination Ledley King for not giving in to the 'massive problem' of his knee injury.
King, whose last strike came against Redknapp's former club Portsmouth on 12th December 2005, headed past Robert Green to set Spurs on their way to a 2-0 victory at West Ham on Monday.
Spurs wrapped up victory in the last minute with a long-range strike from Jamie O'Hara to move above West Ham in the Premier League on goal difference.
And Redknapp was delighted with the performance of King, who has been plagued by a knee injury for over two years.
Redknapp said: "Ledley is strong in the air. He is a fantastic player. He has been unfortunate his knee is a massive problem.
"Yesterday was the first morning he came out training. He trained for 15 minutes and then came over and his knee was hurting him and it was swollen.
Shame
"I said: 'No chance tomorrow Ledley?'
"He said: 'I'll ice it and let's see how it turns out tomorrow'. He turned up today and said he would give it a go.
"It is like that every week for him. He can't train all week. The first time we see him is the day before a game when he comes out and tries to get himself going again.
"It is such a shame for such a talented boy that he has a knee like that, that stops him playing all the time and doing what he wants to do."
Redknapp confirmed King is unlikely to play in next weekend's game against Manchester United, but he is confident Spurs have enough cover in the shape of Michael Dawson and Vedran Corluka.
"It is doubtful he will figure against Manchester United. I have to be careful with him - if he does play two games in a week and his knee blows up he could be out for a long time," said Redknapp.
Important
"We have to pick his games, get him when we can.
"He certainly won't play any Uefa Cup games. The league is all important for us."
The victory ensured Redknapp, the Hammers boss between 1994 and 2001, was unbeaten in four visits to Upton Park as an opposing manager.
"I want West Ham to win every week when I am not playing against them," he said.
"I am more West Ham than anybody. It was a great result for us tonight. We needed it. It was a terrific performance from the players."
