Ledley King admits he was ‘embarrassed’ to score the quickest goal in Prem history, a record that stood for almost 19 years
The Tottenham icon turned club ambassador reflected on his momentous 'strike' in the latest issue of FFT
Tottenham legend Ledley King was known mainly for his rock-at-the-back defensive performances – but he once made Premier League history at the other end of the pitch.
Back in 2000, King put Spurs ahead at Bradford City after just 9.82 seconds – breaking the record for the Premier League's quickest ever goal.
It was a record that stood for some 19 years – until Shane Long smashed it by more than two seconds for Southampton against Watford.
King must have been pretty proud of his achievement, then? Well, as he told FourFourTwo in our latest issue, not necessarily...
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"It was crazy," says King, who is currently a club ambassador for Tottenham. "At the time, I was embarrassed because it was a horrendous strike that took a huge deflection. I realised it was a record after the game.
"It wasn't something I ever really thought about as a player: my job was to be the best defender I could be, and goals were a bonus.
"But when I retired, I started to enjoy it – hearing my name associated with the record. I held it for 18 or 19 years, before Shane Long eventually broke it."
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The top 10 fastest Premier League goals ever
King now occupies THIRD place on the list of the fastest Premier League goals ever, here's how the top ten looks currently:
10. James Beattie, 13.52 seconds (Chelsea vs Southampton, 28 August 2004)
9. Kevin Nolan, 13.48 seconds (Blackburn Rovers vs Bolton Wanderers, 10 January 2004)
8. Chris Sutton, 12.94 seconds (Everton vs Blackburn Rovers, 1 April 1995)
7. Dwight Yorke, 12.16 seconds (Coventry City vs Aston Villa, 30 September 1995)
6. Mark Viduka, 11.9 seconds (Charlton Athletic vs Leeds, 17 March 2001)
5. Christian Eriksen, 10.54 seconds (Tottenham vs Manchester United, 31 January 2018)
4. Alan Shearer, 10.52 seconds (Newcastle vs Manchester City, 18 January 2003)
3. Ledley King, 9.82 seconds (Bradford City vs Tottenham, 9 December 2000)
2. Philip Billing, 9.11 seconds (Arsenal vs Bournemouth, 4 March 2023)
1. Shane Long, 7.69 seconds (Watford vs Southampton, 23 April 2019).
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Tom Hancock started freelancing for FourFourTwo in April 2019 and has also written for the Premier League and Opta Analyst, among others. He supports Wycombe Wanderers and has a soft spot for Wealdstone. A self-confessed statto, he has been known to watch football with a spreadsheet (or several) open...
- Matthew KetchellDeputy Editor