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Harry Redknapp has paid tribute to the bravery and determination of Ledley King after the injury-plagued Tottenham captain helped his side pull clear of the relegation zone with a 2-0 win over London rivals West Ham yesterday.
King's 68th-minute header from Aaron Lennon's cross set Spurs on their way to victory before the three points were guaranteed by substitute Jamie O'Hara's 25-yard strike following a breakaway move right at the end.
The win lifted Redknapp's revitalised squad three points clear of the bottom three with both West Ham and Newcastle leapfrogged in the process.
Former England defender King has been plagued by chronic knee problems for over two years and can barely train. But he seems to have been enjoying a new lease of life since Redknapp replaced Juande Ramos as manager at White Hart Lane.
The Tottenham boss revealed that he had not expected King to feature at all yesterday night after he had broken down only 15 minutes into a training session on the eve of the match.
"He came over and his knee was hurting him and it was swollen," Redknapp said. "I said, 'No chance tomorrow Ledley?'
"He said: 'I'll ice it and let's see how it turns out tomorrow'. Then he turned up 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 said King was unlikely to feature in the weekend meeting with champions Manchester United but he was delighted to have Croatian playmaker Luka Modric back in action after a three-week lay-off with a groin injury.
"When you have Modric you want him on the ball and to get him into the game -- we did that in the second half," Redknapp added.
The defeat left West Ham manager Gianfranco Zola under more pressure with a few boos clearly heard at Upton Park on the final whistle.
But the Italian felt his side had deserved more and was aggrieved that his side had been denied a penalty when Benoit Assou-Ekotto appeared to handle the ball in the area when Spurs were 1-0 up.
"It was a clear penalty when it was 1-0," he said. "The referee is a human being, he can make mistakes. Unfortunately for us it was a disappointing game because it was one we all wanted to win."
Zola added: "I understand the fans' frustration. We gave everything to make them happy.
"It is not an easy situation for us, we know that. We will be working even harder than we have been. We won't panic."
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