Player profile

Tottenham’s club captain earned his first England cap for three years in the pre-World Cup friendly against Mexico and marked the occasion with a goal.

King, who has a chronic knee condition that stops him from training fully between matches, convinced England coach Fabio Capello to take a gamble on his fitness after completing four Premier League matches in 15 days at the end of the season.

Capello previously included King in his squad to face Slovakia and Ukraine in March last year, but the central defender was released two days later when it became clear his swollen knees would not allow him to play. Spurs manager Harry Redknapp condemned the call-up as “pointless and ridiculous”, but Capello defended his right to pick the player.

King’s injury problems stem from his first start for Tottenham as a 19-year-old, when he hurt his left knee in a midfield challenge at Derby. In 2007 a second operation removed the remaining cartilage in the joint and his routine between matches involves many hours spent in the gym and swimming pool.

Despite being a defender, he holds the record for the fastest goal in Premier League history, scored after 10 seconds against Bradford in December 2000.