How Djed Spence has given Roberto De Zerbi his biggest Tottenham challenge yet

Djed Spence has shown Roberto De Zerbi that he deserves a place in Tottenham Hotspur's starting eleven.

The full-back was once a complete outcast at Spurs, joining from Middlesbrough in a £20million package deal that once seemed like a complete waste of money.

However, the 25-year-old has enjoyed 79 appearances for the Lilywhites since returning from his third failed loan move, Genoa, where he only started eight times.

Spence, like many Spurs players, didn't have the best individual campaign last season, but a change in environment brought the best out of him this summer.

The England international was on fire for Thomas Tuchel in North America, and though the Three Lions failed to reach the World Cup final for the first time since 1966, the defender can hold his head high.

De Zerbi may have already had his mind made up with Spence before the World Cup, but he clearly has an ego issue if he doesn't backtrack after what was seen from the player this summer.

How Djed Spence should have changed Roberto De Zerbi's mind; the stats prove it

The Standard recently reported on Spence' situation, suggesting he is not guaranteed to receive the game that he wants next season.

That's because Destiny Udogie is "likely" to be the first-choice left-back, as Pedro Porro remains fairly untouchable on the opposite side of defence after penning a new deal with the club.

However, when looking at Spence's stats, it's clear that De Zerbi must reevaluate his options.

Spence played 312 minutes for England at the World Cup, featuring in every match, with three appearances being starts.

He was given what some described as a shock start against Argentina in the semi-final, but was later regarded as England's Player of the Match, despite the loss, making five tackles and one last-ditch sliding challenge that won the nation's hearts.

He left the tournament with an average of 4.04 tackles per 90, 1.44 interceptions and 10.1 defensive contributions per game.

Spence won 61.1 per cent of his duels for the Three Lions and stood up to the task of battling with Lionel Messi among other world-class talent in the competition.

De Zerbi threw Spence under the bus in final game of season

Tottenham News understands that Spence could leave Spurs this summer, with Everton and Inter Milan said to be interested in the Englishman.

The defender managed to make just two starts under De Zerbi since the Italian arrived in N17, with one of them being the final day win over the Toffees.

Spence was shoved out on the right of midfield, a position which is fairly foreign to him, and unsurprisingly had a poor game.

He lost 50 per cent of his ground and aerial duels, while committing three fouls and managing to skew each of his three crosses.

If Spence knows he's in for another season of mismanagement, he may be open to an exit.

De Zerbi must swallow his pride, and find a way to fit him into his plans.