Djed Spence has told football.london he was “always certain” of joining Tottenham and has spoken about the instructive chats he has already had with Antonio Conte and Ivan Perisic.
The 21-year-old signed for Spurs from Middlesbrough last month for £12.5m, with £7.5m in potential add-ons, after a drawn out process following his breakthrough season on loan at Nottingham Forest, where he played a key part in helping Steve Cooper’s side to promotion to the Premier League.
After Spence arrived at Tottenham, Conte told football.london that while he was a signing the club had pushed for, he greenlit the move because he believed the England U21 international had shown he could become an important player for Spurs. The Italian has been taking it slow with Spence in pre-season as the player gets his fitness levels up to the high standards required of his players and so far the former Middlesbrough man has played just 19 minutes against Rangers in his first match after arriving at the club.
Spence will bring his own attacking and defensive skills to Tottenham’s wing-back options, having completed more take-ons in the Championship last season (76) than Matt Doherty, Emerson Royal, Sergio Reguilon and Ryan Sessegnon combined (48). However the step up will take some adjustment and the Spurs head coach said that Spence will have to work hard on the training pitches to bridge the gap between Championship football and what will be asked of him in the Premier League and Champions League.
Spence is ready for the challenge and in his first interview with the media since arriving at Hotspur Way, he said he always had his heart set on Spurs.
“[The wait] didn’t really affect me too much. I was always certain of coming here. It didn’t affect me too much. I just focused on what I was doing, training hard. That was it, really,” he told football.london out in Israel following Tottenham’s match against Roma. “The manager [was a big draw], obviously the club itself is a big club. Champions League football. Those were the things that made me want to come.
“The manager knows what he wants and he wants his players to work hard. I’m willing to do that. I think it’s going to be a good season for everyone.
“Hopefully I can make a quick impact, no one really likes waiting, although I know you’ve got to be patient and if you get the chance, you’ve got to take it.”
When asked what Conte had told him that he is expecting from him, Spence said: “Just buy into what he’s doing, work hard and just play well when I get my chance. That’s it.”
It’s not just Conte who has been guiding Spence in the past fortnight. Tottenham’s first summer signing Perisic has been offering pointers and tips to Spence’s friend and team-mate Ryan Sessegnon since joining about how to meet Conte’s wing-back requirements, having done so with great success at Inter as the duo won the Serie A title together.
Spence admitted that not long before the interview in Haifa began, Perisic had taken him aside and spoke to him after the game against Roma, in which the young wide man was one of six players who did not get any match action.
“I spoke to Ivan just then,” he said. “He told me my chance will come, just be ready, train hard, when you get your chance do well and hopefully you’ll stay in the team.”
Spence impressed last season against Premier League opposition in the FA Cup such as Arsenal, Leicester and Liverpool with Spurs’ managing director of football Fabio Paratici watching him in person and having been impressed by the up and coming wing-back.
“They’re just more ruthless [in the Premier League]. It’s just a better level in every way,” said the youngster. “Hopefully I can take those performances into the Premier League. Do well for the team, do well for myself and hopefully we can do good things this season.”
When asked what the Tottenham supporters can expect from him during this coming campaign, Spence thought for a moment before suggesting: “Hopefully I can bring excitement to the team, bring something different and give the fans something to cheer about.”
(Football London – Alasdair Gold)
