UPDATE: 23 June 2011
After a battle to get the Turkish FA to accept Guus Hiddink breaking his contract, Chelsea instead pursued and successfully appointed Porto coach Andre Villas-Boas to take over at Stamford Bridge.

Carlo Ancelotti was sacked as Chelsea manager shortly after the 0-1 loss to Everton.
Sources within the Chelsea ranks reveal they’re going after Dutchman Guus Hiddink. Hiddink is currently coach of the Turkish national team, a position he has held since last August.
Hiddink was caretaker manager of Chelsea the last three months of the 2008-09 season. In that period he lifted the FA Cup trophy with the club, before Carlo Ancelotti was appointed new manager. Hiddink was at the same time also coach for the Russian national team. He has also coached the national sides of Australia, South Korea and the Netherlands.

Guus Hiddink enjoyed his greatest success as manager of Eredivisie side PSV Eindhoven in the late 1980s and during a later spell between 2002-2006. Hiddink is a friend of Chelsea owner Roman Abramovich but whether they will succeed in making Hiddink break his contract with Turkey is still to be seen.

On May 15th Ledley King was back at centre back for Tottenham, helping the team to a first win away at Liverpool since 1993. King had not played since October 16th when he got injured in an away win at Fulham. Still after a seven months break he seemed to slot effortlessly back into the team. A commanding performance from King, his centre back partner Michael Dawson, full backs Younes Kaboul and the young Danny Rose kept Liverpool’s Suarez, Carroll, Kuyt and Maxi Rodriguez subdued.

Ledley King is Tottenham’s longest serving player. He joined the club as a seventeen year old in 1997. His debut came in a 2-3 defeat to Liverpool at Anfield in May 1999. He started out as a midfielder and established himself as a regular after a 2-1 win against Liverpool in November 2000. The 2001/02 season saw King moving to the centre back position, after Sol Campbell moved to Arsenal. By the end of the season he was called up for England and regarded as one of the country’s best young centre backs.
In the 2003/04 season Glenn Hoddle was sacked as Tottenham manager and the new management moved King back into midfield. He was still called up as centre back for England. The following season he was in his preferred role as centre back again and had an outstanding season for Tottenham. They conceded only 41 goals in the Premier League and King played the full 90 minutes of every match. In January 2005 he was appointed as Spurs’ captain.

In the 2005/06 season a young Michael Dawson paired up with King in the Spurs central defense. They were both hugely impressive before King broke his metatarsal (foot) towards the end of the season. That was unfortunately the beginning of King’s long standing injury problems. He then injured his knee in pre-season before braking his metatarsal again. His appearances on the field became very sporadical but he captained his side to win the League Cup final in 2008. One of only ten appearances that season. King’s knee troubles had become chronic and unrepairable. Since then King doesn’t train with his team mates but works out in the gym. After each match his knee blows up like a balloon and has to be managed for him to have any chance to get ready the following week. Still King kept coming back into the team, delivering top performances every time. However his injuries made it difficult for him getting picked for his national side.
Several outstanding performances during the 2009/10 season saw him picked for England’s provisional World Cup squad. He scored in a friendly against Mexico on May 24th and was eventually picked for the World Cup in South Africa. He played the first 45 minutes in England’s opening match against USA, before pulling out with a groin injury. This was his last appearance in an England shirt.

King keeps managing his chronic knee injury and started out well in Tottenham’s 2010/11 campaign. That was until the groin injury kept him out from October until his come back at Anfield yesterday.
King’s injury troubles have seen Robbie Keane and later Michael Dawson as Spurs skipper every time he has been absent. His outstanding ability has kept him in the squad and it makes you wonder what might have been, without all the injuries. King is perhaps the most outstanding centre back the Premier League has seen. An interesting fact is also the fair play reputation he has. In his entire career King has only got 8 yellow cards. He has still got one more year in his contract with Spurs. It looks like that will be honoured and we still have some more outstanding performances coming.

Danny Rose is a left winger who plays for English side Tottenham and England’s U-21 team.
Rose arrived at Tottenham in July 2007, from Leeds United’s youth academy. He worked hard in the Spurs academy and reserves and had brief loan spells at Watford and Peterborough. In January 2010 Rose made his debut for Tottenham’s senior team in a 2-2 draw against Leeds in the FA Cup. Three months later he made his Premier League debut in a 2-1 win against Arsenal. Danny Rose made his name on everyone’s lips by scoring on a spectacular volley, a goal voted Goal of the Season by Sky Sports viewers.
Rose started the 2010/11 season on loan to Bristol City but returned to Tottenham in January. In May he was back in Premier League action, replacing the injured Benoit Assou-Ekotto at left back. Rose had a strong performance against Blackpool on May 7th and was praised by manager Harry Redknapp. He followed up with another good match in th 0-1 defeat to Manchester City on May 10th. On May 15th he was again part of a brilliant Spurs defense when they beat Liverpool 2-0 at Anfield.

Rose has played for England at U-17 and U-19 levels before being included in the U-21 in June 2009. He has been a regular in their qualifiers for the 2011 European Championship and scored his first goal in a 1-0 win against Portugal. The UEFA U-21 European Championship finals will be hosted by Denmark in June 2011.