Ledley King has praised the impact that his cousin Ben Johnson has made at West Ham United this season.
Johnson has been at West Ham’s academy since the age of seven and the young defender made his senior debut for the club back in 2019.
The youngster did get a few games under his belt for David Moyes’ side last season and he has managed to build on that this campaign, consistently featuring for the Hammers during the second half of the season, both domestically and in Europe.
The 22-year-old has displayed his versatility, having been deployed at both right-back and left-back this season.
Johnson’s displays at left-back in the absence of Aaron Creswell have particularly caught the eye, with the defender being rewarded with his first cap for England Under-21s back in March.
King believes that the Hammers youngster has the attributes to play as a central defender in a back three over the coming years.
The Spurs legend told The Sun regarding his cousin: “What I do like about Ben is that he is a footballer, first and foremost, which means he is able to play in different positions.
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“And in a way, I started off a little bit like that. In my first game I got brought on at left-back and then [Glenn Hoddle] started playing me in midfield – but I always knew I was a defender.
“Ben’s versatile, good with both feet, has good balance and he’s a good size. In the modern game, especially in a back three, he could be one of the centre-backs.
“There’s probably fewer aerial duels now than there was 15-20 years ago, you don’t have to be quite as big and physical so he can definitely do that.
“He’s improving each season. West Ham again have had a good season. They’ve done well at combining the league and Europa League this season, which isn’t easy. Ben is establishing himself in the first team which is good to see.”
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Perhaps Spurs should consider putting in a cheeky bid for Johnson over the coming years if he continues developing the way he has.
We certainly need more homegrown players and while Hammers would probably not sell to us, perhaps Ledley would be able to get on the phone to convince his cousin to make a move across the capital.
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