Djed Spence reveals his ‘biggest hurdle’ at Tottenham in sly dig at Antonio Conte
Djed Spence has become a source of inspiration since arriving at Tottenham.
Spence recently signed a contract extension at Tottenham after going from strength to strength in North London.
But it has not always been that way for the Englishman, who struggled to adapt when he first arrived from Middlesbrough. But the left-back has prevailed, and with it, can reap the rewards of his success.
Djed Spence reveals Antonio Conte years were his ‘biggest hurdle’
Spence has left his doubters at Tottenham red-faced after receiving his first call-up to the England squad.
Antonio Conte made it clear that Spence was an “investment of the club” when he first arrived in North London. A series of loans followed his statement, which knocked the fullback’s confidence.
- 19 July 2022: Spence signed for Tottenham from Middlesbrough
- 31 January 2023: The fullback joined Rennes on loan
- 30 August 2023: Spence arrived at Leeds United on loan but his contract was terminated on 4 January 2024
- 11 January 2024: Spence joined Genoa on loan, who were unable to meet his £8.5million buy-option at the end of the season
In an interview with The Guardian on Wednesday, 3 September, he admitted that signing for Spurs under Conte was his biggest hurdle.
“The biggest hurdle is when I signed for Tottenham and I didn’t necessarily feel the love straight away,” Spence said.
“I was on such a high going into the club. I’d done really well, got promoted with Nottingham Forest. I am buzzing, I am going to sign for Tottenham. So to hear comments like that wasn’t nice. It does shatter your confidence a bit. I almost came crashing down because of comments from the manager and not playing. I was in a difficult space.”
But he did not let the trials and tribulations wear him down. Now a UEFA Europa League winner with Tottenham and recognised by Thomas Tuchel for England, Spence has proven himself a valuable member of Thomas Frank’s squad.
“I went out on loan, was playing a bit and then stopped playing. Then I had the Euros that year [2023] with England Under-21s but got injured right before. I couldn’t make it to the Euros, which was obviously another disappointment because I would have loved to have gone and the boys ended up winning as well.
“Sometimes, in football when things go bad, they go really bad. That was a point in my career where it was really tough. But I am fighter. Fast forward, I am here now, so I am happy.”
Destiny Udogie has work cut out to start ahead of Djed Spence
Tottenham fullback Destiny Udogie has been praised as one of the best fullbacks in the world.
However, injuries have allowed Spence to climb through the ranks at Spurs. After a series of impressive performances for Tottenham, notably in the UEFA Super Cup against PSG, Frank will have a lot to think about once Udogie returns.
With the 2026 World Cup just around the corner and him earning his first senior call-up, Spence will want to put himself in a position to be named in Tuchel’s squad.
As such, Tottenham fans can expect to see Spence put his best foot forward and fight to keep a starting spot at Spurs.
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