Tottenham Hotspur fullback Djed Spence may not be anywhere near a superstar, but one of the biggest problems England has had in its past was a team of individuals and superstars but with no grit and none of the foundational work necessary to support the superstars unselfishly. What makes players like Harry Kane and Jude Bellingham special is their drive to win and ability to change games, but you can't have five Bellinghams in a team - or, worse, five players who think they are Bellingham but are really Noni Maduekes, for example.
So Spence has been highly valuable to England this summer. Thomas Tuchel called him up with a lot of controversy, as many felt that Spence was taking the spot reserved for Real Madrid star Trent Alexander-Arnold, who is, admittedly, the superior player. But Spence being in Tuchel's squad did not necessarily mean that he was taking a spot fromt Trent.
Time and time again this World Cup, Spence has proven himsel valuable to England, and even though he has been coming off the bench for Tuchel, he has honestly been producing his best work in that role. After holding the Mexico tide at bay in England's monumental 3-2 Round of 16 win at the Azteca, Spence was all over the place with another incredible performance off the bench to help England close out another Jude Bellingham inspired victory over the upstarts, 2-1 against Norway.
Djed Spence is getting his respect now
Former Manchester United legend Rio Ferdinand echoed a lot of Spurs fans on social media when he tweeted, "DJED SPENCE - respect. People need to put some respect on his name! "
There have honestly been some Tottenham Hotspur fans who have not shown Djed Spence all that much respect either, as he did have some really rough patches during the 2025/26 season and is ideally a backup option on either flank for them.
But as Spence is showing for England this World Cup, being a backup option who can play both left and right back is still immensely valuable in the modern game. And when everyone else is tired and the game needs to be closed out, having someone like Spence who is willing to run through brick walls, crunch into challenges, and make those lung busting forays into the final third with the ball to unbalance the defense is massive. It wins you games, and Spence has just helped England win two very tough World Cup battles.
Today's best reads
Djed Spence confirmed what Tottenham fans knew about his attitude
The Athletic confirmed what Tottenham fans suspected about Djed Spence's future
Djed Spence just sent a subtle message to Roberto De Zerbi
Djed Spence turned doubters into believers with one last stand
Djed Spence said what every Tottenham fan wanted to hear about Harry Kane disrespect