Kyle Walker and Danny Rose have been vital to Tottenham's recent success due to their "incredible" work rate and development, according to Spurs icon Ledley King.

England defenders Rose and Walker were both in impressive form last season as Spurs mounted a Premier League title challenge until the last few weeks of the season, and the pair have picked up where they left off this term.

Spurs have conceded just six goals in 11 league games in the 2016/17 campaign so far, and former White Hart Lane captain King believes Mauricio Pochettino's wing-backs are key to Spurs' ambitions of silverware.

"In my time, there was no emphasis to get forward for full-backs," King told Spurs' official website. "It was about tucking in with the centre-halves and positional, but it’s all changed now.

"Modern-day full-backs have to be so fit and have the speed not just to attack with pace, but to be able to recover as well. A lot of the game is played through the full-backs and they are vital in this team.

"These two are a big reason why we’re performing at such a high level. The way they’ve developed is incredible.

"Their speed makes them so difficult to beat in one-on-one situations and that means when you come up against quick players, for instance, Raheem Sterling in the City game, you don’t worry about that side of it as much.

"We’ve seen for the last couple of years the pair of them bombing forward, providing the width and they’ve taken it to international level now. They are two of the best full-backs around with everything modern-day full-backs need in terms of pace, very good one-on-one, energy to burn, high fitness levels and that ability to get up and down the pitch."

King is impressed with how 26-year-old Walker - labelled Tottenham "stallion" by Eric Dier - has risen through the ranks since joining Spurs in 2009 to become first choice for both club and country.

King continued: "I first saw Kyle play for Sheffield United and I thought he looked a very good prospect back then. He joined Spurs at a young age, went on loan, came back and made the position his own. You could see his potential - here was a player who was going to be a fixture in the team for years to come.

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"Having said that, Kyle had to be patient, there were a few more experienced players in front of him at the time and it was a matter of biding his time, playing football out on loan and finding his way into the team.

"He did that in 2011-12 and I could see straight away that he was such an athlete, he had that potential but still lots of growth to come and that was great. As he’s got older, he’s learned his position more and he’s one of the best full-backs around now."

King saw a chronic knee problem limit his playing time for Spurs and eventually end his career, and the former centre-back has praised Walker for overcoming an injury-plagued 18 months to return "stronger than ever".

As for Rose, King added: "Danny joined the club as a midfielder, but once he played at full-back, I thought he was brilliant. He always had that defensive part to his game, so it was just about learning the position.

"He’s done that and made the position his own, for England as well now. As a young kid, sometimes you work with the senior lads and you can be a bit in awe, a bit stand-offish, but not Danny, he got stuck in straight away and that’s one his greatest strengths, he’s a real competitor."