Tottenham hero Ledley King admits announcing his retirement left him in tears.

King, 31, retired last week having been blighted by knee injuries since he was a teenager.

The defender told The Sun: "At the start of last season I felt my left knee was the same as it had been in the last five years and that I could keep going. I didn't envisage finishing.

"Then, even though I knew I was struggling halfway through the season, my aim was to get to May, deal with it in the summer and come back again.

"But the surgeon said he didn't want me to end up with a knee replacement at a young age and that was what would happen if I played on. My knee felt terrible so I suppose it made the decision easy.

"But I admit there were a few tears because I always felt I could deal with it before. I'd always found a way to manage the situation and get through the season."