There’s been a lot of talk in recent days about how this current Tottenham team shapes up against the Spurs teams of the past.
Indeed, Jermain Defoe claimed Niko Kranjcar is better than James Maddison, while Defoe also said Aaron Lennon was better than Heung-Min Son.
Tottenham were certainly a better team 15 years ago. After all, they currently sit 15th in the Premier League, while, back in 2010, they were qualifying for the Champions League.
| Position | Team | Played MP |
Won W |
Drawn D |
Lost L |
For GF |
Against GA |
Diff GD |
Points Pts |
| 14 |  |
29 | 10 | 4 | 15 | 55 | 43 | 12 | 34 |
Harry Redknapp was the man in charge of that side, and speaking to We Are Tottenham TV, Redknapp has been discussing some of his former players compared with Spurs’ current crop.
Harry Redknapp picks Ledley King over Micky van de Ven
Redknapp was asked to build a combined XI of his former players and today’s current crop of Spurs stars.
The manager had some difficult decisions to make – particularly at centre-back.
Redknapp was asked to choose between Ledley King and Micky van de Ven at one point.
Van de Ven has received a lot of praise since joining Tottenham, while King is a Premier League great in his own right.
Redknapp didn’t hesitate here, picking King over Van de Ven.
Micky van de Ven’s injury record compared to Ledley King
King and Van de Ven are two absolutely brilliant centre-halves.
Both men have a fantastic ability to read the game, and they have physical attributes that allowed them to bully opponents too.
Unfortunately, those aren’t the only similarities between the two players.
Indeed, King’s career was cut short by injury, and, sadly, Van de Ven has had his fair share of injury problems as of late too.
| Micky van de Ven’s hamstring injuries | Games missed |
| Feb 7 2022 | 14 |
| Nov 6 2023 | 12 |
| March 10 2024 | 4 |
| October 30 2024 | 8 |
| December 8 2024 | 20 |
| Total games missed | 58 |
King’s problems were linked to his knees, while Van de Ven has had hamstring issues.
| Ledley King injury history | Games missed |
| Groin problems | 33 |
| Groin strain | 9 |
| Thigh problems | 7 |
| Knee problems | 10 |
| Knee problems | 45 |
| Total games missed | 104 |
Van de Ven is back fit for the moment, but Tottenham are still wary of his hamstring problems.
At the age of just 24, Van de Ven should, hopefully, have a long and successful career ahead of him.
However, injuries at the top level can be incredibly cruel, as King knows only too well.
Van de Ven and King are two of Tottenham’s best defenders of the modern era, but, sadly, both men’s careers have been affected by injuries.
