Djed Spence: From Tottenham Bench to International Recognition

← Back

 

The journey to first England call-up

In just nine months, Djed Spence has transformed from a player who had never started for Tottenham to a member of the England national team. An analysis of the incredible transformation of one of the Premier League's best defenders in individual duels.

Confidence of a Rising Star

"Bring me your favorite winger," Spence posted on social media after Tottenham's 2-0 victory over Manchester City at the Etihad Stadium. These five words perfectly capture the confidence of a player who can currently do little wrong.

Spence was basking in the glory after silencing first Oscar Bobb and then Phil Foden as Spurs kept a clean sheet against the reigning champions. From a fringe player, he has become a key figure in the team, which was reflected in his first call-up to the England national team.

Difficult Start at Tottenham

His arrival from Middlesbrough in July 2022 after an impressive loan spell at Nottingham Forest didn't initially look like a success. Then-manager Antonio Conte, who traditionally prefers experienced players, publicly emphasized that 21-year-old Spence was not his choice.

"Spence is a club investment. The club wanted to buy him, the club decided to get him," Conte declared. This statement foreshadowed a difficult period during which Spence barely played and was subsequently sent on loan to Rennes, Leeds, and Genoa.

None of these loans worked out. Leeds terminated the season-long deal after six months, and Genoa declined the option to buy him for what now seems an unthinkable £8.5 million. Spence returned to Tottenham with an unclear future.

Breakthrough Under Postecoglou

The start of last season under Ange Postecoglou didn't look promising - Spence wasn't even included in the squad for the Europa League group stage. The opportunity came only mid-season when injuries decimated Spurs' defense.

On December 15, 2024, 881 days after joining the club, he finally got his first start. After just 36 seconds, he assisted James Maddison for the opening goal in a 5-0 victory. He hasn't looked back since then.

Statistical Excellence in Individual Duels

Spence has established himself as one of the best defenders in individual duels in the Premier League. Among 191 players with at least 50 "true tackle attempts" last season, he finished 11th with a 71.2% success rate.

Ahead of him were only Aaron Wan-Bissaka (77.8%), Tyrick Mitchell (76.5%), and teammate Destiny Udogie (71.4%) among full-backs. Spence was dribbled past only seven times in 25 league games last season.

His abilities with the ball are equally impressive. An average of 3.6 dribble attempts and 1.9 successful dribbles per 90 minutes represented the highest numbers among all defenders with at least 1,000 minutes. Only Kyle Walker-Peters (5.1) exceeded his average of long progressive carries (4.9 per 90 minutes).

Areas for Improvement

Despite exceptional abilities in individual duels, Spence has room for improvement in his passing game. Only 6.8% of his successful passes from open play were classified as progressive, ranking him 35th among 55 full-backs with sufficient minutes.

The average length of his successful passes at 13.8 meters places him sixth from bottom. However, it must be considered that he often played left-back, which complicates his preferred right foot, and mostly faced deep-set defenses.

Key Role in New Season

Spence is among only four Tottenham players (along with goalkeeper Guglielmo Vicario and center-backs Cristian Romero and Micky van de Ven) who have played every minute of all four games this new season. His versatility allows him to play on both flanks of defense.

When Udogie returned from the bench against Bournemouth, Pedro Porro was withdrawn rather than Spence, who seamlessly switched from left-back to right-back. This versatility represents another reason why England manager Thomas Tuchel took notice of him.

International Perspective

The call-up to the England national team for qualifying matches against Andorra and Serbia represents well-deserved recognition of Spence's form. At 25, he is relatively old for a breakthrough at international level, but his dramatic improvement is undeniable.

Tuchel's caution in defensive selection, symbolized by Trent Alexander-Arnold's omission, favors reliable players like Spence. His confidence and experience at the highest level position him for success in the international jersey as well.

---

Thanks to Stats Perform for the data

Photo:nytimes.com

More information:24live.com