For the second game in a row, Djed Spence received the ball just inside the opposition’s half and kicked into gear.
With his dreadlocks flowing down his back, the defender weaved through a series of challenges before slipping the ball into the box with the outside of his right boot on both occasions.
In Tottenham Hotspur’s 5-1 victory against Hearts on Wednesday evening, Spence’s slick piece of skill led to Will Lankshear scoring. They combined again on Saturday against Queens Park Rangers and earned a corner. Spence’s ability to turn defence into attack within seconds is undeniable.
What is in question is his long-term future at Spurs. Most supporters thought they would never see him play for the club again, so it has been a surprise watching him in both pre-season games so far. He is expected to travel with the squad on their tour to Japan and South Korea too.
So, is he being given a genuine second chance or will this turn out to be a false dawn?
Spence moved to north London in July 2022 from Middlesbrough after a successful loan spell at Nottingham Forest. He had thrived under the management of Forest coach Steve Cooper and helped them earn promotion via the play-offs.
Shortly after he arrived at Spurs on a five-year contract, Antonio Conte made his feelings clear.
“Spence is an investment of the club,” Conte said. “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.”
It was not exactly a ringing endorsement and Spence only made six appearances for Tottenham during the first half of the 2022-23 campaign, all of them as a substitute, before he joined French side Rennes on loan. In an interview with The Athletic in March, Spence reflected on his difficult debut season.
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“I didn’t have a great time,” the full-back said. “I went there and I didn’t play, so obviously it was hard for me. When you sign somewhere as a player for a big club, you want to be filled with confidence and welcomed with open arms, as I was, but it just didn’t feel right when I went there. Things didn’t go well as I planned.
“When you don’t get a chance, there’s not much you can do as a player. You get lost, you’re not playing, it’s hard to get a rhythm again. It’s never easy going to a new environment when things don’t go well but it’s part of the game. It’s a learning experience.”
Ange Postecoglou decided Spence was surplus to requirements last summer so he joined Leeds United on loan but failed to win over their head coach Daniel Farke. In a strange twist of fate, Farke preferred to use Archie Gray at right-back, who is now Spence’s new team-mate after leaving Elland Road earlier this month.
Spence then spent the second half of last season in Italy with Genoa, where he made 16 Serie A appearances. The loan move included an option for Genoa to buy Spence which they did not take up.
Spence’s application away from the pitch has been an issue in the past. He sometimes arrived late to training sessions and team meetings while with Leeds. If he impresses Postecoglou before Tottenham open their campaign against Leicester City on August 19, maybe there is a role for him in the squad.
However, Pedro Porro is the club’s first-choice right-back with Gray, who prefers to play in midfield, as cover there. Emerson Royal is expected to leave but AC Milan’s €10million (£8.4m, $10.9m) bid for the Brazilian has been rejected. The right-back spot is beginning to look crowded although Spence could be invaluable as he is comfortable playing on the left too.
Part of the reason Spence has played in pre-season is out of necessity. Tottenham’s centre-backs, Micky van de Ven, Cristian Romero and Radu Dragusin, are still on holiday after playing for their countries at major tournaments this summer, while Destiny Udogie is recovering after undergoing surgery in April.
Postecoglou’s options are extremely limited, which means Gray has been partnering central midfielder Oliver Skipp in defence. Jamie Donley, who primarily played as an attacking midfielder for Tottenham’s Under-21s as they won the Premier League 2 title last season, is filling in at left-back.
Playing Spence could also be a tactic to strengthen Tottenham’s hand in negotiations. If he was not involved at all during pre-season, interested clubs could be tempted to ask for a lower price. Selling him would provide extra funds to improve areas of Postecoglou’s squad that require more attention. It will be interesting to see how much game time Spence receives when key players return.
When The Athletic asked Postecoglou about Spence’s performance and if the defender featured in his plans after the victory over Hearts last week, he was non-committal.
“Djed did well,” Postecoglou said. “He has had a tough couple of years. He is training with us and I think, with all of the players, they are here with us at the moment and when they are here with us, I treat them as Tottenham players unless something suddenly changes. He was good tonight. Took his goal well, he contributed well and got an assist.”
Spence maintained that level in Tottenham’s 2-0 victory over QPR at Loftus Road on Saturday. He linked up well with 16-year-old winger Mikey Moore on multiple occasions. Dejan Kulusevski, who was playing in a central midfield role, would drift out to the right wing where he likes to cut inside onto his stronger left foot. This freed up space for Spence to occupy in the middle of the pitch.
At one stage in the second half, Spence appeared to be trapped by the corner flag in QPR’s half. He nonchalantly nutmegged Paul Smyth and drilled a cross into the box which was cleared for a corner. A few minutes later, academy midfielder Tyrese Hall lost the ball while Spence was ahead of him. The full-back made a 40-yard recovery run which ended with him blocking Smyth’s shot.
The talent is undoubtedly there but will Spence be displaying it for Spurs or someone else in 2024-25?
(Header photo: Andrew Milligan/PA Images via Getty Images)