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Ledley King played under a whole host of managers across his 13-year spell with the Tottenham first-team, but he has a clear favourite, and Spurs fans will not be surprised by who that is.

If a new generation of Tottenham fans feel that the current era has been an extremely disappointing one for the club, given the club’s lack of success, one shudders to think how they would have coped with the late 1900s and early 2000s.

That was when Ledley King was breaking into the Tottenham Hotspur first-team, with the club mired in mid-table mediocrity and even occasionally flirting with relegation.

However, that started changing towards the latter part of King’s career, with Tottenham challenging for Champions League qualification under Martin Jol and eventually getting there under the tutelage of Harry Redknapp.

Ledley King reveals why he adored working with Harry Redknapp

Yet, he was one of the first names on Redknapp’s teamsheet come matchday and helped secure Champions League qualification in 2010, with the North Londoners going all the way to the quarterfinal of the competition in their first time of asking.

It thus comes as no surprise that Ledley King enjoyed his time under Redknapp at Tottenham the most.

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Reflecting on his playing days, the former Spurs captain told OLGB: “I think the game’s changed now. You don’t see the characters in the players like you used to anymore as well. There’s so much scrutiny, so much attention on the game that the fun element of it gets left behind a little bit at times.

“You’re almost not allowed to smile and have too much fun while you’re doing it these days. But yeah, Harry Redknapp was great. He was great for me personally because he came in at a time when I’d stopped training and not every manager would allow you to not train and still be able to play, but Harry did.

“I would say under Harry I probably had my favourite time at the club in terms of the players that we had at the football club. We’re talking about Luka Modric, Gareth Bale, Rafael Van der Vaart.

“It’s just a shame that I was suffering during these times, but in terms of the football we were playing, being able to get into the Champions League for the first time, actually do well in the Champions League as well, it was brilliant.”

King reveals what separated Redknapp from other managers

Ledley King called time on his Tottenham career as soon as Redknapp was sacked in 2012, with the English manager losing his job despite getting the Lilywhites to a fourth-place finish that season.

The former Spurs defender explained that the legendary English coach kept things very simple and had a knack for getting the best out of the players he was managing.

King added: “Harry’s strength was identifying talent and getting the best out of them. That sounds very, very simple, but it was often players that some managers have struggled to really get the best out of.

“Harry had a strength of bringing them in and putting an arm around their shoulders and getting the best out of those types of players and that’s why we were able to do so well under him.

“I think all the players that I played with under Harry, loved Harry. Van der Vaart has said that it was his favourite time as a player, playing at Tottenham, and a lot of that is down to Harry and how he made us feel. We all loved Harry.”

All the focus has been on Tottenham’s incomings in the transfer market this week, but one forgotten £8.5m player has just offered himself to Celta Vigo.

Tottenham Hotspur have been far more active in the transfer market when it comes to incomings than outgoings this summer.

Two new faces have already joined the club – Kota Takai and Mohammed Kudus, while Kevin Danso and Mathys Tel have been signed permanently, with Nottingham Forest midfielder Morgan Gibbs-White still high on Spurs’ wishlist.

But in terms of departures, things have been rather underwhelming. Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg’s £17 million switch to Marseille remains Tottenham’s only sale so far, while Fraser Forster, Sergio Reguilon, Timo Werner and Alfie Whiteman all left on free transfers.

Bryan Gil offers himself to Celta Vigo as Tottenham look to offload

We have said on several occasions that we believe Tottenham should part ways with certain fringe players to raise additional funds, and one of those firmly on the chopping block is Bryan Gil.

The Spanish winger, now 24, had spent time on loan at Girona last season but saw that spell cut short after suffering a serious injury, ruling him out for a significant period.

Now nearing a return to full fitness, Gil is attracting attention once again – and according to a report from Mundo Deportivo, he has now offered himself to Celta Vigo (as relayed by Sport Witness).

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The La Liga outfit is actively seeking reinforcements out wide, having pursued Bryan Zaragoza before stalling due to Bayern Munich’s steep valuation.

With that deal looking unlikely, Gil has emerged as an alternative option under consideration, as their report stated that Gil is not in new boss Thomas Frank’s plans for next season.

Previous reports have indicated that Tottenham want €10m-€15m (£8.5m-£12.8m) for Bryan Gil this summer.

Spurs winger Bryan Gil could leave on a free next year

Gil remains at Hotspur Way, working on his recovery, and with just one year left on his contract, Tottenham face the risk of losing Gil for nothing if no agreement is reached this summer.

It has simply not clicked for Gil at Tottenham, with the former Sevilla man making only 43 appearances for the club, failing to score and providing just two assists.

His loan spell at Girona had shown more promise, as Gil scored three times and assisted a further three in 25 appearances in the League for the La Liga side.

Tottenham’s clash with Reading this weekend could see the debut of three new faces, as Thomas Frank begins to shape his Spurs side for the season ahead.

A lot has been said about Thomas Frank’s appointment as Spurs boss, as the Dane became the 16th managerial hire by Daniel Levy, following the sacking of 15 other Tottenham managers.

Frank arrives at Tottenham with a growing reputation as one of the brightest up-and-coming managers in the Premier League, thanks to his impressive spell at Brentford, where he made them a top-flight constant and led them to two top-half league finishes in the last three seasons.

Tottenham will be hoping the leap from Brentford to Spurs is not too steep for Thomas Frank, as he has now been entrusted with leading the club into a new era as European champions.

Mohammed Kudus, Kota Takai and Luka Vuskovic could debut for Tottenham vs Reading

Since his appointment back on 12 June, a lot has happened, with the manager giving his first interview as Tottenham boss, while members of Frank’s backroom staff have also been confirmed.

Pre-season training has been in full swing, with the Spurs boss meeting his new group of players ahead of their first friendly clash against Reading this Saturday.

With a host of players now at Hotspur Way, including first-team regulars, new signings and returning loanees, Tottenham supporters could witness the debut of three new players this weekend.

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Mohammed Kudus, Kota Takai and Luka Vuskovic could all be handed their first appearances as Tottenham players when the team travel to the Select Car Leasing Stadium in Reading.

Kudus only joined a week ago, and with the Ghana international already having featured in West Ham training before his switch to Spurs, there is little doubt about his match fitness.

Spurs pre-season opens up opportunity for young duo

Kota Takai and Vuskovic have already spent time with Frank in pre-season training, and with Cristian Romero only recently returning to first-team training, there is a strong chance that the two young centre-backs could feature either from the start or off the bench.

Spurs signed Kota Takai for £5million from Kawasaki Frontale, and the Japan international met up with the Spurs squad for the first time on July 8.

Luka Vuskovic was signed two seasons ago from Hajduk Split for £12million, but had to be loaned out, as he was not old enough to feature for Tottenham, having been signed at 16 years old.

The Croat, now 18, is eligible to feature for Tottenham, and Saturday could be his first appearance in a Spurs shirt.

Tottenham also have several pre-season fixtures lined up this summer, including meetings with Luton Town, Newcastle United, Arsenal and Bayern Munich, before facing Paris Saint-Germain in the UEFA Super Cup.

With PSG still reeling from their defeat to Chelsea, Spurs will hope they can compound the French side’s troubles when they meet in Udine, Italy – a match that marks Frank’s first competitive game as Tottenham boss.

Crystal Palace have named a huge asking price for Tottenham target Adam Wharton, but that has not put off the North London club from their pursuit of Thomas Frank target yet.

Tottenham are mired in a legal battle with Nottingham Forest over the signing of Morgan Gibbs-White, but it is clear already which position Spurs will strengthen next.

According to reports, Tottenham have already started their search for a new number six, which Thomas Frank has identified as a priority ahead of his first season in charge.

It has been alleged that Frank has urged the Spurs hierarchy to bring Adan Wharton through the door, but the problem for Daniel Levy is that Crystal Palace have asked Spurs to pay £100m for Wharton.

Tottenham are not put off by Adam Wharton’s £100m price

A new report in GiveMeSport has now confirmed that Palace are adamant that it will take £100m or more for Spurs to prise Wharton away from Selhurst Park.

The Eagles believe that their midfield star is in the same bracket as Declan Rice, whose £105m switch from West Ham and Arsenal is identified as the benchmark for the former Blackburn Rovers star’s value.

However, it is alleged that Palace’s monstrous asking price, which is £35m more than Tottenham’s record £65m signing of Dominic Solanke, has not put off Levy completely.

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Thomas Frank’s men continue to eye an ambitious deal for Wharton and have not withdrawn their interest in the Englishman just yet.

However, there is an acknowledgement at Hotspur Way that it may be tough to convince Oliver Glasner’s men to part ways with their midfield general.

Tottenham are also eyeing two other defensive midfielders

Wharton is not the only number six that the North Londoners are looking at, with reports over recent weeks claiming that Spurs are considering bringing Douglas Luiz back to the Premier League.

It has also been claimed that Fabio Paratici is aware that Luiz is keen on a move to Tottenham as he attempts to exit Juventus just a year on from arriving in Turin from Aston Villa.

Tottenham Hotspur have turned their attention to exciting Italian centre-back Giorgio Scalvini, but they face competition from two Premier League giants and several other Serie A clubs for the defender’s signature.

It appears that Tottenham have successfully managed to see off Atletico Madrid’s interest in Cristian Romero, with Diego Simeone’s men thought to have given up on their pursuit of the Argentine.

However, Spurs still face the risk of losing their vice-captain amidst reports that Real Madrid are now ready to make an approach for Romero.

Additionally, reports continue to indicate that Romero wants to leave Tottenham for a new challenge, and one would thus expect the North London side to continue scouring the market for potential replacements.

It turns out that they have now turned their attention to an Atalanta star, but a deal for him will not be easy to complete.

Tottenham want Giorgio Scalvini but they face a lot of competition

This update comes from The i Paper, who say that Giorgio Scalvini is on the North London club’s radar on the back of his impressive development in Bergamo over the last few years.

However, the Lilywhites are not the only ones eyeing the 22-year-old, who is also wanted by Newcastle United, Man United, Juventus and a host of other Serie A sides.

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Newcastle are particularly keen on securing Scalvini, having admired him for a long time, and the Magpies have ‘carried out preliminary work’ on a deal for the Italy international.

While Atalanta have not named a price for the young centre-back, it is asserted that sources expect the Italian side to demand over £50m for their defensive star.

Tottenham may have a chance to beat Newcastle to Scalvini

According to The I Paper, Eddie Howe’s men are keen to bring Scalvini on board and the centre-back is willing to move to St James’ Park.

However, Atalanta’s asking price of over £50m is a problem for the Magpies, who will have to first sell some more players before making a move for the Italian.

Juventus believe Daniel Levy is their one big advantage in the race for a Tottenham midfielder, but the Old Lady and the Lilywhites still do not see eye-to-eye regarding a deal for the Mali international.

Over the last week, Spurs Web has relayed several reports stating that Juventus are eyeing a move for Yves Bissouma after learning that he might not be part of Thomas Frank’s plans at N17.

However, they are not alone in their admiration of the Spurs star, with reports over recent days claiming that Fenerbahce have moved to the front of the queue to land Bissouma,

According to a new update from Italy, the club from Turin may have one ace up their sleeve to land the 28-year-old.

Juventus official hopes to take advantage of his relationship with Daniel Levy

This update comes from Gazzetta dello Sport (as relayed by Sport Witness), who say that while the Tottenham midfielder is indeed on Juve’s transfer list, he is not the only defensive midfielder the Italian giants are eyeing.

The Bianconeri are also looking at Bayer Leverkusen’s Granit Xhaka and Wolverhampton Wanderers’ Andre as options for the number six role.

Juventus’ new general manager, Damien Comolli, is working on the pursuit, and he has ties with Tottenham, having previously served as Spurs’ director of football.

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It is asserted that the Serie A club hope to use Comolli’s ‘direct relationship’ with Daniel Levy to push through a deal for Bissouma.

Juventus are not willing to meet Tottenham’s asking price for Yves Bissouma

Gazzetta say that Igor Tudor’s men are not willing to offer more than €15m (£13m) for Bissouma, who has just one year left on his contract in North London.

However, they have been unable to find an agreement with Tottenham for the former Brighton man at that price.

It was reported last week that Daniel Levy wants to raise around £15m-£20m from Bissouma’s sale, but Tottenham might have one problem.

Ledley King has opened up on the trials of being unable to train at Tottenham due to his knee problems, and revealed what he had to do to ensure that he could still perform when he went out on the pitch at the weekend.

The story of the second half of King’s career is a remarkable one. The centre-back who was well on his way to becoming one of the best in the Premier League suffered chronic knee issues midway into his career.

After multiple operations, it left him in a situation where he simply could not afford to run a lot without his knee swelling up.

That meant that the former Tottenham Hotspur captain could not train during the week, but he remained the first name in the teamsheet for successive Spurs managers as he would still be among the team’s best players in every game.

Ledley King explains how he could play without Tottenham training

To be a world-class performer at the highest level without being able to train was a mind-boggling feat, which is why many Spurs fans consider him one of the club’s greatest players of the Premier League era.

In fact, many neutrals are even of the opinion that King was the greatest English defender of his era, which is a huge claim considering the fact that he played at the same time as the likes of John Terry, Rio Ferdinand, Jamie Carragher, and Sol Campbell.

Ledley King has now explained what his routine used to be during the week in the lead-up to the game on the weekend.

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The 44-year-old told OLBG: “Harry (Redknapp) used to say that I just turned up on Saturday, but I was working hard all week, I just wasn’t on the training pitch. While the players came into the changing room and went to the training pitch, I came in and went to the gym.

“I had boring days in the gym, work that no player really wants to do, but I knew I had to do. Then there was the swimming pool, even to this day, I’m not a great swimmer, so that tells you everything you need to know about me in the swimming pool.

“I just had to kind of do my work to try to get out onto the pitch to try and help my team. It was tough, there’s no doubt about it. It was tough. For five years, I didn’t train. I just kind of had to have my own schedule, away from the banter and camaraderie on the pitch.

“But yeah, my main focus was just trying to help my team, and I knew that I was still an important player for the football club. I knew it was a better team when I was there.”

King reveals his focus changed following his injury troubles

The Spurs legend admits that once his knee injuries prevented him from training, his focus shifted from being the best player he could be to helping those around him.

Ledley King explained that he knew he would be undercooked going into matches, which is why he decided to become more of an organiser and make others around him better.

He added: “It became less about how good I could be, but more about how good I can make the team be when I’m there, how I can influence everyone else to be much better.

“That became my sole focus. It’s easier when you’re able to train every day and you naturally don’t have to think about yourself too much because you know that you’ve done the work, and then you can start to think about other things.

“I had it in a kind of different way where I knew I was going on the pitch kind of undercooked, so to speak, so my job solely became about forgetting about yourself and let’s make everyone else better and make sure that the team is winning.

“I had to do that, I just had to kind of make the team a better team when I was there, otherwise there’s no point in me being there. I had to make sure that the players alongside me were better players when I was there.”

Arsenal have now entered the race to sign a versatile Serie A attacker, who Tottenham have been monitoring very closely this summer.

Thomas Frank has already reinforced his attack this summer, with Tottenham paying £55m to land Mohammed Kudus from West Ham United.

The Lilywhites are also in the process of strengthening their options in the number ten role, with Spurs confident of landing Morgan Gibbs-White despite Nottingham Forest’s legal challenge against the North Londoners.

Last week, it emerged that Tottenham are also closely monitoring Atalanta star Ademola Lookman, whose future at Bergamo is thought to be in doubt.

Arsenal now turn their attention towards Tottenham target Ademola Lookman

A report in CaughtOffside has now confirmed that Spurs are indeed interested in Lookman, who scored 15 goals and provided 5 assists across all competitions last season.

However, the outlet reveals that their North London rivals, Arsenal, are also turning their attention towards the Atalanta star.

It is revealed that the Gunners have identified the versatile attacker as a potential alternative for Crystal Palace star Eberechi Eze.

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The publication adds that Mikel Arteta is a big fan of Lookman and asserts that Arsenal may push ahead with a move for the Nigeria international if they are unsuccessful in agreeing a deal for Eze.

Tottenham face even more competition for Lookman

It is not just their fierce local rivals that Tottenham Hotspur have to be worried about in their pursuit of Lookman, with CaughtOffside revealing that the former Everton man is also on the radar of Newcastle United, West Ham and Napoli.

It was claimed last week that Nottingham Forest and Aston Villa could also offer competition to Spurs for Lookman this summer.

The same update added that Atalanta are open to accepting an offer in the region of €45m-€60m (£38.7m-£51.6m) for the 27-year-old.

Simon Jordan is confident about how the legal tussle between Tottenham Hotspur and Nottingham Forest over Morgan Gibbs-White will come to an end.

Spurs fans will take heart from the fact that a number of sources have continued to suggest that Gibbs-White will end up as a Tottenham player this summer, despite Nottingham Forest’s attempt to stop the transfer.

However, Forest are continuing to fight and remain defiant that they will not sell Gibbs-White. They allege that there has been a breach of confidentiality as Tottenham were not supposed to know of the midfielder’s release clause.

The Premier League have remained silent about the Gibbs-White case, which means, frustratingly for Tottenham, they do not know how long this matter will take to be resolved.

Simon Jordan puts his money on Morgan Gibbs-White joining Tottenham

Jordan and Borson had an interesting conversation about the legalities of Spurs meeting the Forest star’s release clause.

Borson suggested that the Midlands club have a legal case as Tottenham had no right to find out about the clause by speaking to the player’s agent.

They also discussed the complexities of Forest’s attempts to prove that Spurs had initiated contact with Gibbs-White’s agent.

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However, Spurs fans will be pleased to hear that at the end of the video, Jordan concluded: “Would I sit here and put my money down on Gibbs-White going to Spurs? Yes!!”

Watch their discussion below on talkSPORT (starting at 4:38):

The delay in the Gibbs-White deal ruins Thomas Frank’s pre-season plans

While it does appear, based on what the experts are saying, that Tottenham Hotspur are on strong legal footing, the delay poses a big problem for the North London side.

According to reports, Thomas Frank wants Gibbs-White in his squad before Tottenham fly out for their pre-season tour of Asia in 12 days.

An iconic feature of the old White Hart Lane is currently being installed at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, and is all set to be ready for the start of the new Premier League season.

Bill Nicholson is widely recognised as the biggest legend in Spurs history and is still seen by most fans as Mr Tottenham, having spent his entire playing career at White Hart Lane before going on to manage the club for 16 years.

The fact that Tottenham Hotspur fans still refer to their side as “the club that Bill made” tells you all you need to know about how much he remains revered.

The famous black gates at the entrance to White Hart Lane are forever linked with Nicholson after this famous photograph in the 1960s.

It was announced earlier this month that, after discussions with the Fan Advisory Board (FAB), Tottenham have decided to reinstate the Bill Nicholson gates at the new stadium.

The Bill Nicholson gates are now being installed at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium

Spurs fans will be delighted to learn that work on installing the iconic black and gold wrought iron gates has now commenced at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.

The gates were brought down back in 2015 ahead of the construction of the new stadium and have been kept safely in storage since.

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Tottenham said about the reinstallation of the gates on their official website: “Generations of fans, players and staff followed in Bill’s footsteps through the gates on the way to White Hart Lane and we recognise their significant cultural and historic value.”

Where will the gates be installed?

Tottenham revealed that the gates will be placed between the ticket office and the historic buildings at the north of the stadium.

In regards to selecting the location, the club stated: “We have taken our time in finding the most appropriate location to reinstate the gates within the new stadium environs – mindful of the significant levels of construction and change the area has seen over the past decade.

“Working in close consultation with our Fan Advisory Board (FAB), we have identified a location within PAXTON17, between the Ticket Office and historic buildings at the north of the stadium, at which the gates will be reinstated.”