The Djed Spence trait that could see him flourish under Roberto De Zerbi

Tottenham Hotspur defender Djed Spence saw his stock rise after an impressive World Cup with England.

There were some who questioned why the versatile full-back was even selected by Thomas Tuchel for the tournament in United States, Mexico, and Canada.

But the 25-year-old justified his selection and then some, playing a key role in the Three Lions' run to the semi-finals.

Sadly for Spence, he suffered heartbreak in the last four as England were beaten 2-1 by Argentina, before winning the Bronze Medal match against France 6-4.

Now, the focus is back on club duty, and despite being linked with a move away there has been nothing concrete about a potential exit.

Indeed, Spence needs to take stock, because he could really flourish under Roberto De Zerbi, and one trait in particular proves this.

How can Djed Spence be crucial for Roberto De Zerbi at Tottenham?

Tottenham News covered how well Tottenham ace Spence flanked Kylian Mbappe in the World Cup win over France.

There was a moment in that game where he sprinted back to deny the Real Madrid ace a one-on-one opportunity.

And it was that display of speed that could be so crucial to De Zerbi's set up.

The Italian is possession-heavy, but he is also a front-foot manager, who likes his teams to press high, and play at speed.

Spence clocked a top speed of 36.62 km/h in the Premier League last season, which was the fourth highest in the division.

Moreover, per 90 minutes, Spence averaged 22.5 sprints and covered an average distance of 9.5km.

If you are going to flourish under De Zerbi you need to play with intensity, and you need the energy to get up and down the pitch.

That is a trait that Spence delivers in spades, and his ability to carry the ball up the pitch could be a real useful asset in this side.

Spence could probably do with improving in terms of his creativity, he failed to register an assist last season, though he did have an expected assists of 1.78 and created four big chances.

In terms of his passing, he had a pass accuracy of 81 per cent, which did climb to 85 per cent in his own half.

Defensively, he averaged 0.6 interceptions, 1.5 tackles, 3.7 ball recoveries, and 1.7 clearances.

What has Roberto De Zerbi said about Djed Spence?

Spurs have shelled out £237million in the transfer market thus far, with Mateus Fernandes, Sandro Tonali, and Jan Paul van Hecke arriving as three of six signings.

While some cash has been recouped in player sales, there is a big chance that others could leave.

Spence is among those to have been linked with a move away, and speaking during Tottenham's pre-season tour of New Zealand and Australia De Zerbi hinted he wants him to stay.

He said: "I repeat what I said to Djed, and to Lucas [Bergvall].

"I would like you to stay if you want to stay. If you don't want to stay, if you want to leave, then you have to leave."