Tottenham have been on a mission to disprove the critics who rightly gathered after their Premier League performance last season.
Thomas Frank was hired by Spurs in June, and the manager has sought to complete a rebuild at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.
A strong start to the season has built on a positive summer, in which the likes of Xavi Simons and Mohammed Kudus were acquired to bolster the Dane’s options.
Tottenham beat Leeds United 2-1 before the international break, leaving them third in the Premier League table.
And one player in particular has caught the eye of Roy Keane in recent months.
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Roy Keane hails Djed Spence’s turnaround at Tottenham
Djed Spence’s good form earned him a second successive England call-up for this international break, and the defender has earned it.
The 25-year-old has taken an interesting path to the first team at Spurs, following his move to the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in 2022.
Loans to Stade Rennais, Leeds United and Genoa allowed the defender to gain experience away from the Premier League, before injuries allowed him to finally grab his chance towards the end of last season.
Now, Spence looks to be a key player for Frank, who has deployed the England international from the start in 9 of his 11 matches in charge.
Speaking before England’s match against Latvia on Tuesday, Keane told ITV 1: “I wasn’t sure about him a year or two ago, and I still worry about his defensive side, but he’s maturing and taking these opportunities.“
The stats behind Spence’s Spurs performances
Spence has been dribbled past just twice this season, and is rapidly earning a reputation for his ability to see off his man in a one-versus-one duel.
And on the ball, the England international is equally capable. The defender has completed five dribbles this season so far, and holds an impressively high pass accuracy of 81.2 per cent.
Staggeringly, in Spence’s first-ever England start, against Wales, the defender boasted a 98 per cent pass accuracy from 57 passes.
With 16 duels won and 15 recoveries, Spence is a consistently reliable option for Frank out wide, and holds the unique asset of excelling on both sides.
Due to an injury to Destiny Udogie, the 25-year-old has spent much of the season playing at left-back, but moved over to right-back to cover for Pedro Porro against Wolves.
In some respects, Spence’s career still feels as if it is just starting. The defender is becoming key for both Spurs and England, and his prospects are only looking better and better.