Contes Ruthless Selection – At Djeds ExSpence
In Tottenham’s 1-0 win against Wolves there was another notable absence in the side selected by manager Antonio Conte which saw Djed Spence not even make the bench for the second game in a row.
The 22-year-old right wing back cost spurs an initial investment of £12,500,000 after an impressive loan spell with Nottingham Forest where he not only helped the Reds achieve promotion while being a fan favorite, he also was in the championship team of the year assisting 5 and scoring 3 including a goal against Leicester in the FA cup.
When Spence was signed many fans especially Forest fans and fans that had seen him play in the season prior expected spence to battle for that right back position and to then make it his own however Conte was very open about not necessarily wanting this transfer and was quoted saying: “Spence is an investment of the club. The club wanted to do it. I said OK, this player is young but he showed he can become a good, important player for us. The club decided to buy him.”
Spences main criticism has always been his alleged attitude problems which were well reported during his time at Middlesbrough under Warnock and many fans believe that Steve Cooper had managed to nullify or find a way to cope with Spence in the dressing room or on the training pitch however its not wild to suggest that since his big money move to a champions league club that his ego has the better of him once again and Conte isn’t keen on a player that can be so problematic especially as he wasn’t overly keen on the transfer in the first place
The last time Spence played was in England’s U21 Euro qualifier where he scored in the first minute, unfortunately for Spence and England it was at the wrong end, England lost that game 2-1.
Spurs face Forest next and while its unlikely it provides Spence a fantastic opportunity to make his mark should Conte give him the chance. On soil Spence knows well in front of an adoring home support still full of admiration for a player who achieved the unthinkable in Forest colours.
Spence will always be a part of that immortal squad that provided Forest fans, especially the younger ones, with a squad full of icons and full of players that will not be forgotten quickly at the City Ground. Forest fans even loved Spence's mother who became a cult hero with her pitch invasion antics caught on the Sky cameras after the playoff semi-final.
Hopefully Djed finds his feet in the Premier League whether that be for Spurs or another club. But one thing that any fan that has watched Spence can say for certain is that he has bags of potential and if nurtured and deployed correctly he can play at the very top level.