Harry Redknapp, the Tottenham Hotspur manager, insists Fabio Capello can lead England to World Cup glory in South Africa – with Ledley King playing a pivotal role.

Redknapp initially called King's international recall last week "mad and stupid", but Capello felt he had every right to pick the centre-back in his squad for the matches against Slovakia and Ukraine because he had played the last four games for his club.

King suffers from chronic knee problems and needs a week's rest between matches before he can play again and Redknapp was concerned that had he done so on Wednesday, he would have been unable to appear for Tottenham against Blackburn tomorrow. However, Redknapp was keen to stress that there was no rift between him and Capello. "I never stopped Ledley going," he said. "I never said anything about the manager picking him.

"No one has more respect for Fabio than me, as he is a fantastic manager, and he will be a great manager for England – he has already proved that.

"We have a group of players that is the best this country has had for years, and has a massive championship win in it. With this man in charge, I don't see why we can't do it. So there is no way I disrespected him or England."

With John Terry and Rio Ferdinand seemingly automatic choices as central defenders for the national side, Redknapp believes there would be no better replacement to call upon than King when the World Cup comes around. "He is well worth taking as he can play, and you might need him for a semi-final if somebody is injured or suspended," he said. "You could not pick a better man.

"If you used him right and there is a break between games, then fine. You have to make sure you nurse him through. The medical people here have got that down to a fine art."

Redknapp also called for changes in the international calendar, to give clubs more time with their players. "I just wish that they could play the games on the first Wednesday, and then the other on a Saturday, as you can then get your important players back for the week," he said. "Whereas now everyone has got massive games around the country, and the players won't be back until the day before a game. Clubs can't do anything with the players; they come back tired, some of them have been halfway around the world, so it becomes a bit of a farce really."