The Athletic’s Charlie Eccleshare has now revealed the inside story of how Ledley King came to impress Jose Mourinho and eventually join his coaching staff.
Tottenham announced that King will join Mourinho’s staff next season, replacing the departing tactical analyst Ricardo Formosinho.
The Athletic have revealed that the Spurs boss struck up a great relationship with the legendary defender as soon after he arrived at the club back in November.
King reportedly introduced Mourinho to everyone from the different departments at the club and sat down with him to discuss the ethos of Spurs.
The former centre-half is also said to have shared his insights on what makes different Tottenham players tick and it is revealed that Mourinho was impressed by his generosity.
Furthermore, the Portuguese coach also admired the way King connected with the players at the club, and wished to have a club legend as a part of his staff to establish a better connection with his squad.
It is claimed that King will not take over any tactical analysis responsibilities at first, with the bulk of Formosinho’s work set to be handled by Joao Sacramento and Giovanni Cerra.
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The former defender will instead primarily be helping academy graduates make the transition into the first-team, knowing first-hand what it takes to make the step up at Spurs.
It is said that the 39-year-old will also be in constant communication with the youngsters that Spurs have loaned out and will act as the liaison between them and the club.
The report asserts that King’s involvement in training drills will be minimal at first as he is yet to complete his coaching badges but this is an area he is expected to grow into.
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Many people are interpreting this move as a cynical move by Mourinho to get into the fans’ good books by appointing a club legend. However, Eccleshare in this article asserts that King’s appointment is very much a meritocratic decision on the part of the Spurs boss. If Jose is hoping that the likes of Skipp, Tanganga and Cirkin will eventually go on to become first-team regulars, then King could prove an invaluable asset as he not only understands the youngsters well as individuals but also has their full respect.
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