Glenn to boss Ledley's charges

Glenn Hoddle will take charge of the Guest XI side at the Ledley King Testimonial match on Monday, kick off 8pm.

The Spurs legend and former manager will be conducting an exciting array of former favourites from the touchline against the current First Team at the Lane, including the likes of Edgar Davids, Paul Robinson, David Ginola, Teddy Sheringham, Dimitar Berbatov, Scott Parker, Peter Crouch and Darren Anderton.

Glenn has nothing but admiration for a player that really came into his own in the First Team during his time as manager.

“When I first saw Ledley King play as a youngster, the thing that impressed me most was how calm he was," recalled Glenn. "He was never flustered; even in and around his own penalty box while under pressure, he was always in control.

“I loved the way he played; so two-footed as he brought the ball out of defence. He had such natural ability and possessed supreme confidence in what he could do.  Where some defenders would panic, Ledley would dominate."

Glenn considers it an honour to have been nominated by Ledley himself to direct proceedings on behalf of the Guest XI.

“I feel honoured to have been asked to manage Ledley’s guest side and to have the opportunity to pay my own tribute at a stadium that will always be dear to my heart and on a pitch that Ledley King graced with his own unique style for so many years.”

Joining the Ledley Guest XI will be four players who served under Glenn during his two-and-a-half-year spell in charge at the Club, with former Wimbledon duo Chris Perry and Neil Sullivan plus Luke Young and Mauricio Taricco all set to line up alongside Ledley on Monday night.

Perry, who made 146 appearances in our colours, admitted he was delighted to receive the invitation to take part in Ledley's big night: "I was over the moon when I got the text from Ledley to ask if I wanted to play and I jumped at the opportunity.

"When I first came to the Club he was really young and he was really quiet about the place but when he got on the pitch you just saw this player come out and he could do anything.

"When I was first in the team he was just sitting in front of me in central midfield and he looked like he’d played there forever. He grew as his career went on and he obviously became a great leader on the pitch.

"He was always excellent and he’s a great role model for any young centre-back or midfielder."

Goalkeeper Sullivan echoed Perry's sentiments about Ledley's natural ability on the pitch: "What a player! Coming into the Club you knew all about him but it wasn’t until you’d played with him, or played behind him as I did, that you realised what a talent he was.

"When he was out on the pitch he was fantastic. It was great that he got the captaincy at a young age as well, and he deserves his Testimonial."

QPR defender Young, another product of our youth setup, admits that Ledley was always destined for greatness: "I first came across Ledley in the youth team and it was pretty obvious back then that he was going to go a long way and be a top, top player.  He has been an unbelievable servant for Tottenham. 

"It's been such a long time since I played at White Hart Lane, there are still a lot of faces that work there from when I played at Spurs and I'm looking forward to meeting up with Ledley and some of the other lads who I used to play with 15 years ago."

Meanwhile our former Argentine defender Taricco, now Assistant Head Coach at Sunderland, always felt Ledley possessed all the attributes to be a top defender from a young age:  "We played together when Ledley was still young. He was a central defender who had everything – good technique, strong, quick, that’s what made him the player he was.  

"I’m really looking forward to Monday night. It will be great to be part of something special for a special player.”

A limited amount of tickets are still available to purchase for what promises to be a memorable evening at the Lane.

Supporters can buy tickets by visiting https://www.eticketing.co.uk/tottenhamhotspur/default.aspx or calling 0844 844 0102 (Option 1). A per ticket booking fee of £1.75 (online) or £2.25 (phone) will apply.

Alternatively, you can buy your tickets in person at the Ticket Office both on matchdays and non-matchdays.

Our former skipper's chosen charities Tottenham Hotspur Foundation’s Skills project, The Willow Foundation and Bowel Cancer Awareness UK will all benefit from monies raised from Ledley's Testimonial Match, with the Tottenham Tribute Trust also set to receive a contribution of the funds received.

Tickets are priced as follows:

Adults - £20.00
Seniors (65+) - £10.00   
Junior (U16) - £5.00
Family package (Two Adults and Two Juniors) - available in all areas at £40.00

Hospitality packages are still available for the game - contact the hospitality team on: 0208 365 5010 or email hospitality@tottenhamhotspur.com