LEDLEY King hopes that 2010 will be the year when two of his dreams come true and he finally makes his bow in both the World Cup and the Champions League. The Tottenham captain has racked up 284 Spurs appearances...

By Ben Pearce

LEDLEY King hopes that 2010 will be the year when two of his dreams come true and he finally makes his bow in both the World Cup and the Champions League.

The Tottenham captain has racked up 284 Spurs appearances in the Premier League, FA Cup, League Cup and Uefa Cup since May 1999.

King also played in the 2004 European Championships for England, and marked his 20th international cap with a goal against Mexico on Monday night.

However, the 29-year-old has yet to appear in the most prestigious competitions - the World Cup and the Champions League - but he hopes to complete the set in the coming months.

"Any player would tell you that they dream of playing in the World Cup. So far I haven't had the opportunity to do that, so to be picked in the 30-man squad gives me an opportunity to try to prove that I deserve to go to South Africa," he said.

"Of course qualifying for the Champions League means a lot to me as well. I've been watching Champions League football on the TV every season and I've always wanted to play that football, and now I've got that opportunity.

"Obviously we're going to have to get through the qualifiers but we've got the opportunity to do so. If we do that then it will be brilliant."

King faces an imminent hurdle on his double-edged quest as England boss Fabio Capello prepares to cut his 30-man provisional squad down to 23 in the next five days.

However, he is not the only Tottenham player who is awaiting the announcement with bated breath, and the skipper has reserved special praise for his defensive colleague Michael Dawson - who was an unused substitute in the Three Lions' victory over Mexico on Monday.

"There's six lads from Tottenham so I'm in good company," said King. "It's a reflection of the season we've had [at Spurs].

"We've still got other players as well who, if they'd played a bit more, could have been involved in the squad so it just shows we've got a great base of English players at the club.

"It's brilliant that Michael got into the squad and it's thoroughly deserved after the season he's had. I don't think there's been a better centre-half in the country so I'm delighted for him.

"I think people underestimate him as a ball player. He's comfortable on the ball and he's got a great range of passing and I think he's just been getting better and better. I'm sure that England fans will get to see that."

You can see the full interview with King on Spurs TV Online.