- Djed Spence produced a fantastic performance vs Everton
- Roberto De Zerbi full of praise for England international
- Spence part of the England squad despite having a broken jaw
Djed Spence started for Tottenham Hotspur as they secured a 1-0 win against Everton to officially avoid relegation from the Premier League.
It’s been an eventful few weeks for the defender, who is also set to represent England at the 2026 FIFA World Cup in Qatar.
With Randal Kolo Muani dropping to the bench, Pedro Porro played as a right winger, with Spence taking his place at right-back instead of the Spaniard.
And it’s safe to say he delivered a fantastic display as Roberto De Zerbi singled him out for special praise.
De Zerbi says Spence demanded to play for Tottenham
Spence was benched for the game against Chelsea but came on as a second-half substitute as Tottenham lost 2-1.
However, during his late cameo, he broke his jaw as he was elbowed by Chelsea striker Liam Delap.
And despite his injury, Spence was called up by Thomas Tuchel and made the official 26-man squad for the World Cup.
To cap off a fine week, he started and played really well for Tottenham, earning special praise from De Zerbi.
“Djed Spence. Before the Chelsea game, he came to my office,” said De Zerbi after the game.
“Another one to say ‘I want to play.’ He said, ‘You always speak about the personality, the courage. I’m here, if you want to play with one player,’ and he was fantastic, I love it.”
Spence deserves his plaudits
England have some fantastic full-back options, so for Spence to actually make it to the 26-man squad is quite the achievement.
It becomes even more impressive when you look at some of the names who haven’t been called up: Trent Alexander-Arnold, Luke Shaw and Lewis Hall, among others.
Spence’s pace and physicality have been on show several times for club and country in recent weeks. Additionally, he is also capable of playing on both flanks, making him an intriguing option.
Twelve months ago, no one would have predicted Spence to be a key player for Tottenham under De Zerbi and also make it to the World Cup squad despite nursing an injury.
However, the Englishman deserves a lot of credit for how he has turned things around. Go well, Djed!
