King out to lord it over Ramsey
ANDY KING has made his way from playing at Hartlepool in League One to playing tomorrow against a man he rates as one of the best in the world, Arsenal’s Aaron Ramsey.
King arrived as a teenager as Leicester were in meltdown, relegated from the Premier League and still recovering from two years previously when their future was in danger because of £30million debts.
Former player Gary Lineker rallied to the cause and helped keep the Foxes perky, but on the pitch it got worse as Leicester slid through the Championship and into the third tier, the only time they have been outside the top two leagues in their history.
King was left trying to make a career for himself where the football is rural and interest minimal. He is the only survivor from those days.
“The game which sticks out was when we played Leeds at home on the Easter weekend. We were top, I think they were third or fourth,” says King, whose place is under threat with Leicester signing Argentina’s Esteban Cambiassso while they were also chasing Wigan’s James McArthur.
“I remember Stevie Howard scored in the last minute and it pretty much ensured we would get promoted.
“People were saying, ‘ That was a high-quality game, that wasn’t a League One game’. It gave me a taste of what it might be like, the stadium was nearly full, there was a real sense of expectation.”
By the time he has finished taking on Arsenal, King, still only 25, will have played 249 league games for newly-promoted Leicester and he might have scored his 50th goal.
King is the highest scoring midfield player in Leicester’s 130-year history, with 54 in all competitions.
Ramsey, 23, has already got 30 for Arsenal and King, a Wales team-mate, said: “I first bumped into Ramsey on a Welsh Under-21 trip. I was about 18 and he was maybe 15 or 16. You could see he had that natural gift with the ball. He was so calm. He has gone on to show just what an outstanding player he is. If he hadn’t got injured he probably would have won player of the year last season.
“He has started off brilliantly again and he is a good guy as well. When players do a lot when they are young they can stand still for a while, things hit a bit of a plateau, people can expect too much. Now Ramsey’s kicked on to another level and is one of the most sought-after players in the league.
“He could go on to be spoken about in the same breath as Gareth Bale. They are different types of player, but I don’t see why they can’t both be the top players in Europe in their positions.” If he does not get his 50th goal against Ramsey and Co it is Manchester United next up at home.
“Playing the likes of Arsenal and Everton, our first home game, is what we’ve worked towards,” he said.
“Ever since getting relegated to League One, it has been all about making sure we got back to the big time. We’re relishing the challenge of playing the top teams. It’s every bit as good as I thought it would be.
“Leicester in League One, we were a massive scalp. Teams were raising their game against us. Now that’s us looking for the scalps.”