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Djed Spence
- Thread starter Jordinho
- Start date
papaspur
Eidur Gudjohnsen
Was borderline MOTM for me again yesterday. Odobert getting a brace obviously has a huge impact on the outcome of the match so maybe he deserves it more, but it's so rare to see a defender win the ball so often. Not even going to ground or anything; it's just a standing tackle or nick and he wins the ball back, passes, then moves to get open immediately. I almost never see Porro winning the ball back; he mostly just screens if he's even back in position in time.
Chrissivad
Dean Richards
Dicko
Pat van den Hauwe
Shh now. It's been a few months. Just keep your head down son.
markysimmo
Johnny nice-tits
Interview Overview
Host: Rio Ferdinand
Co-Host: Joel Beya
Guest: Jed Spence – Tottenham Hotspur fullback
Tone: Raw, honest, humorous, and introspective
Themes: Mental resilience, modern football culture, media narratives, player development, and identity
Personal Life & Interests
Low-Key Lifestyle
- Jed emphasizes that outside football, he lives a calm and private life.
- Enjoys fashion but wouldn’t label himself a fashion guru.
- Doesn’t participate in the “footballer lifestyle” stereotype — not about “glitz and glamour”.
- Highlights the reality of being a professional footballer: it’s often lonely, isolated, and rigidly disciplined.
️ Career Journey & Development
Early Years and Spurs Move
- Signed by Spurs in 2022 after a standout season with Nottingham Forest (promotion to the Premier League).
- Initial transition to Spurs was overwhelming — he admits to giving “too much respect” to the club and players like Harry Kane and Son.
- Took nearly three years to feel settled and confident in the environment.
Settling at Spurs
- Struggled for minutes, especially under Antonio Conte, who publicly admitted he wasn’t keen on Spence’s signing.
- Felt his confidence was crushed after coming in with such high hopes.
- First time truly feeling settled and confident has been this season, thanks to more consistent game time.
Loan Spells: The Nomadic Life
Loans & Impact
- Loaned out to Rennes, Leeds, and Genoa during his time at Spurs.
Genoa (Italy)
- Best loan experience — felt valued and supported.
- Loved by the staff, players, and fans — boosted his morale.
Rennes (France)
- Worst experience — extremely difficult.
- Stayed in a hotel for months, later an inadequate Airbnb.
- Couldn’t adjust to the food or lifestyle; no friends or family nearby.
- Felt unsettled and unsupported — admitted poor diet affected his on-field performance.
Mental Toll
- Described the constant moving, lack of support, and injuries as mentally exhausting.
- Often had no stability — hard to build friendships, routine, or rhythm.
Mental Strength & Attitude
Persistence & Belief
- Even when not getting chances or validation, he stayed consistent.
- Admits there were times he wasn’t motivated — but he forced himself to stay consistent, knowing the opportunity would eventually come.
“Football Isn’t Fair”
- Points out how new managers often come with prejudgments.
- Felt he never truly got a first chance, despite being labeled as getting a “second one.”
- Learned to advocate for himself: told assistant coaches, “I’m the guy… I should be playing.”
Managers & Coaching Styles
Conte vs. Postecoglou
Antonio Conte:
- Cold, lacked encouragement or validation.
- Rigid system: same training session every day.
- Publicly said Spence wasn’t a player he pushed for — this devastated Jed’s confidence.
- “Whatever I did, he wasn’t happy.”
Ange Postecoglou:
- Tactically modern, gives players confidence and purpose.
- Emphasizes attacking football, fluidity, and trusts players.
- Players never get in trouble for trying to play his way — even in defeat.
- Incorporates variety in training, includes tactical video work and inversion drills.
Playing Style & Identity
Fullback Attributes
- Unique fullback who defends and attacks equally well.
- One of the top fullbacks in the league for successful take-ons.
- Playing on both flanks this season — showcasing versatility.
Defensive Passion
- Thrives on 1v1 defending — sees it as a personal battle and takes pride in not letting opponents past.
- Believes defending is about heart and attitude, not just tactics.
Ambitions & National Team
England Goals
- Aims to play regularly and break into the England squad.
- Inspired by Kyle Walker — calls him the best right back in Premier League history.
- Studying players like Trent Alexander-Arnold for crossing ability.
- Admits he’s not doing much extra training post-sessions due to fixture congestion but is focused on tactical learning.
Social Media & Image
Authenticity Over Performance
- Doesn’t like overperforming for social media.
- Encourages players to be themselves, rather than fall into robotic PR patterns.
- Dislikes players congratulating opponents after losses — sees it as performative.
Sidemen Rumor
- Clarifies a viral rumor that he played in a Sidemen charity match — wasn’t him, despite social media claims.
Pep Guardiola & Recognition
- Pep praised him post-match: “You weren’t playing, now you are… well done.”
- Jed appreciated the recognition but jokes about the “slap on the chest” moment.
- Moment went viral — family was in the stadium and loved it.
Spurs Squad Dynamics
James Maddison
- Major support figure in the squad.
- Sends Jed motivational messages before games.
- Texts him tactical advice and encouragement even when injured.
Son Heung-min
- Quiet leader who leads by example — always early, trains hard, performs consistently.
Leadership in the Squad
- Spurs lack a traditional “big voice” leader.
- Leadership is more collective and varied across personalities.
Archie Gray & Youth Perspective
- Rates Archie Gray highly — playing out of position at 18 shows his maturity.
- Believes the experience of playing center-back will help Archie long-term.
Top Opponents & Personal Battles
Toughest Opponents:
- Mohamed Salah: “Clever, positional — not about 1v1s but IQ.”
- Kylian Mbappé: Had a few encounters — managed them well due to pace and anticipation.
- Martinelli/Saka: Yet to face them, but rates them highly.
Mental Warfare:
- Spence views football as psychological as much as physical.
- Once he dominates 1v1, he believes he “owns” the winger for the rest of the game.
Defender Mentality
- Would rather block a goal on the line in the last minute than get an assist — if it wins the game.
- Emphasizes the value of being a defender first, even in an attacking fullback era.
5-a-Side Dream Team (No Goalkeeper)
- Harry Kane – Finishing machine
- Son Heung-min – Versatile and clinical
- James Maddison – Technical and creative leader
- Désiré Doué (PSG) – Reminds him of Neymar, “generational”
- Jérémy Doku – Explosive, 1v1 king, “scary” to defend against
Final Takeaways
- Jed Spence is authentic, grounded, and driven.
- He’s matured from a young player overwhelmed by big names to someone who believes “I’m him.”
- Determined to keep improving, earn an England spot, and help Spurs win trophies (targeting Europa League).
- Promotes the message that young players need to advocate for themselves, stay consistent, and not let setbacks define them
Muttley
Terry Fenwick
The last sentence did make me laugh.
We are so stacked with RB's, and some new LB's appearing as well.
Spence is playing as well as any of them. I would rather play against Spence than either Walker or James though.
Is LB going to spend much time at LB in the future though? Will Spurs just bring in another leftie. We are short of them?
I think its more about forward thinking
- Does anyone think Walker is going to be at the level required next summer? his drop off has been hard
- James is injury prone, who knows if he will be available
- England needed neither of them to beat the opposition this international break
- There is nothing to learn about Walker, he's 100% known quantity
- While England may have FBs, Spence is probably in a category of 1 re being able to play both sides almost equally.
If it was just Spence, I'd say ok, but the squad was full of brick decisions ..
Muttley
Terry Fenwick
Tuchel gets a pass for a while. I'm hoping he is going to define that the system is way more important than individual names. Listen to him and execute his plan and you'll be in his team.
England have had names on paper, but not on grass for a long time. They've had a complete plonker of a manager who had no clue how to organise any team he managed.
I'm not jumping on this Spence bandwagon just yet. He's doing great, but he needs to get great at defending as his priority 1. I've seen some lackadaisical defending from him in key moments. I've heard people say he's a better defender than Porro and Uodgie. To be fair, when they're saying he is a better defender than Walker and James I'll take more notice. None of our full-backs are great defenders. They have other attributes though.
I think his games against Salah and a couple others have shown he is capable defensively.
I'd actually say based on circumstance, he really has had a few seasons in the wilderness, got his chance on wrong side, general mishmash of team he has had to step into, he's done extraordinarily well.
Like all players establishing themselves, it's about consistency now, can he keep the same level to end of season, can he kick on next.
The Conte comments really show what a clam that guy could be ..
Muttley
Terry Fenwick
Yeah, I think his best defensive game was against Mbuemo. Thing is with Spence, there are tools to work with. The football is never a hot potato with him.
If Spence can finish the season well and play well all the way up to the autumn internationals, perhaps he'll be considered.
thfcsteff
Tony Galvin
Indeed. And a coward.