Source: Team_Talk
Dawson: World-class King will deliver
Michael Dawson has backed Ledley King to take the place of the injured Rio Ferdinand in the heart of England's defence at the World Cup.[LNB] Dawson joined his England colleagues in South Africa on Saturday after earning a recall to Fabio Capello's 23-man squad in the wake of the knee injury that has ended Ferdinand's World Cup hopes.[LNB]And the 26-year-old has backed Tottenham team-mate King to set aside doubts over his fitness to become a fixture alongside John Terry in the back four in South Africa.[LNB]King has battled for years against a chronic knee injury which limits his training routine but Dawson believes there were indications in the last Premier League campaign that he is up to the challenge of a major tournament.[LNB]"Without a shadow of doubt Ledley won't let anyone down," Dawson said.[LNB]"The last couple of months with Tottenham he played three games in seven days, so he can do that - and when he's fit, he is world class.[LNB]"Playing alongside Ledley, he certainly brings a calmness to the whole team. You look at him and he never seems to get flustered.[LNB]"He's not someone who will rant and rave. He's actually quite quiet. But when he does talk everyone listens - and he leads by example and his performances show that.[LNB]"Everyone wishes him all the best. He's worked hard, he's been injured for quite some time with his knee but he has remained mentally strong.[LNB]"Whenever he plays he's fantastic, he deserves to go to the World Cup."[LNB]Dawson, whose World Cup hopes were in tatters just a few days ago, described the turnaround in his fortunes as "madness".[LNB]He added to Daily Star Sunday: "They say a week's a long time in football and that's certainly been true for me.[LNB]"I was obviously gutted when I got the call on Tuesday to say that I would not be a part of the 23 but here I am now in South Africa. It's madness.[LNB]"I was on my way to pick my wife up from work at lunchtime because we had plans to spend the weekend in London when I got the call from Michelle Farrer at the FA.[LNB]"It's like fate has been on my side because I quite easily could have been on a beach somewhere. I'm sure some of the other lads who missed out will be on holiday now.[LNB]"But it happened that I hadn't booked anything. I'm so glad I didn't."
