Ledley king for a day

Ledley King staked his claim to be a future Spurs captain with a commanding performance in the 1-1 draw with Partizan Belgrade in Spain last night.

Although Spurs lost their final Kappa Cup match 1-0 on penalties, King's growing status was confirmed in a stifling night in Seville when new head coach Jacques Santini made him skipper.

King is clearly happy at returning to the heart of the Spurs defence, as opposed to the midfield job he was asked to do for much of last season.

Although shy off the pitch, it is clear his England displays have helped him grow in confidence.

He was promoted because Jamie Redknapp flew home for a scheduled appointment with his specialist and Steven Carr was rested.

King told Standard Sport: "It was a great honour for me to be captain my club.

"I know it is one part of my game that I had to move on and I've done that. While I am a bit quiet off the pitch, I am certainly not on it. I am always talking to the players on the pitch because you must communicate once you are out there."

His was not the only one that caught the eye. In 17-year-old right-back Phil Ifill, Spurs have unearthed a real gem, who was never overawed by a strong Belgrade outfit.

In midfield, the emergence of 20-year-old Mark Hughes demonstrated still further that Spurs possess a bank of young talent.