Ledley King admits there are ‘two sides to Jose Mourinho’ after working with him as assistant at Tottenham

Tottenham legend Ledley King and former manager Jose Mourinho
(Image credit: Getty Images)

Tottenham cult hero Ledley King has opened up to FourFourTwo on what it was really like to be a member of Jose Mourinho's coaching staff at the Lilywhites. 

Mourinho managed Tottenham from 2019 until 2021 in a short stint which saw the Portuguese replace the much-loved Mauricio Pochettino. While at the club, he enlisted the help of fan favourite King to join his backroom team.

"Jose came in and said that he’d like me to be part of his staff," King told FFT. "I wasn’t even coaching – I’ve never been a coach. 

Jose Mourinho, Manager of Tottenham Hotspur looks on during a training session ahead of their UEFA Champions League group B match against Olympiacos FC at Hotspur Way training ground on November 25, 2019 in Enfield, England.

Jose Mourinho managed Tottenham across three seasons (Image credit: Julian Finney/Getty Images)

"It’s one of those things that you simply can’t turn down: this is Jose Mourinho. It was an unbelievable experience. I enjoyed it."

For a while, it looked like Tottenham may launch a title charge. After finding themselves top of the Premier League during the lockdown season, King now reveals  he got his hopes up and genuinely believed Spurs could win the league.

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"In the first part of the season, everything was going well," he says. "We were top of the league in December and I thought we were going to win it! But sadly we fell off in the second half. We got to a cup final, beat Manchester United 6-1 at Old Trafford, and beat Arsenal and Manchester City at home."

So what is Jose really like? Is he really as grumpy as he comes across?

Jose Mourinho, Head Coach of Tottenham Hotspur talks to Ledley King during the Tottenham Hotspur training session at Tottenham Hotspur Training Centre on September 16, 2020 in Enfield, England.

Ledley King had never coached before Jose Mourinho asked him to be a part of his staff (Image credit: Tottenham Hotspur FC/Tottenham Hotspur FC via Getty Images)

"The one thing about Jose is that, away from the cameras and the training ground, he’s a lot of fun to be around," King reveals. "He genuinely is. He loves to have a laugh and tell stories – he’s got so many great stories. At dinner time, he makes everyone laugh, but then when it comes to the football side it’s very serious. 

"There were two sides to Mourinho that not everyone gets to see, and I’m grateful that I had the opportunity to see them."

More Tottenham stories

In FourFourTwo's Season Preview, we look at why Tottenham fans can be excited again for the future.

Spurs have been linked with a move for Chelsea misfit Romelu Lukaku this summer as a replacement for Harry Kane. Tottenham are also reportedly interested in 'the next Thierry Henry' to fill the gap left by their all-time record goalscorer, while Djed Spence has been linked with an exit this summer after making just four appearances since signing last summer.

Matthew Ketchell
Deputy Editor

A former goalkeeper, Ketch joined FourFourTwo as Deputy Editor in 2022 having worked across ChronicleLive, LeedsLive, Hull Daily Mail, YorkshireLive, Teesside Gazette and the Huddersfield Examiner as a Northern Football Editor. Prior to that he was the Senior Writer at BBC Match of the Day magazine. He has interviewed the likes of Harry Kane, Trent Alexander-Arnold, Gareth Southgate and attended two World Cup finals and two Champions League finals. He has been a Newcastle United season ticket holder since 2000 and has a deep knowledge on the history and culture of football shirts.

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