Djed Spence hasn’t even donned Tottenham Hotspur colours, yet he is already proving to be a decisive character for the Premier League side.
Tottenham-mad pundit Darren Ambrose is excited at the prospect of his signing and thinks it would be an ‘outstanding’ purchase, but he has his worries and questions amid criticism of the player from Neil Warnock.
English football’s most experienced manager loaned out Spence to Nottingham Forest last summer when he was in the Middlesbrough dugout.
Whilst Warnock went on to get sacked by Boro, the young flying wing-back he loaned out ended up winning promotion to the Premier League with Nottingham Forest.
Since then, Warnock has been heard saying that Spence was either going to be ‘Premier League or non-league’, well there is only one way he is headed now.
But Ambrose, who was managed by Warnock during his career, questioned if Spence’s attitude is ‘so bad’ that even the Englishman couldn’t handle him.
“There are quotes from Chris Wilder that have come out and I think they are a bit harsh,” said Ambrose. “He played 63 league games for Middlesbrough.
“They then send him out on loan, it was Neil Warnock who sent him out loan. The only question mark I have is because I think it’s an outstanding signing for £12.5 million. If he does well, then it goes to £20 million. If it doesn’t, then it’s a gamble that pays off, it’s only £12.5 million. For a Premier League club like Spurs, that’s fine. You won’t lose a lot.
“The only question I have. I worked under Neil Warnock, one of my all-time favourite managers. He’s dealt with a lot of characters. He’s dealt with a lot of bad eggs.
“For him to say what he is saying and to let him go (last summer), is his attitude that bad that Neil Warnock couldn’t handle him? Whether it was a footballing decision as well, just to part ways. He said he could be a ‘Premier League player or a non-league player’. That’s the only question mark.
“I think if there is any manager that can handle him is Antonio Conte. I also think sometimes the penny drops on the player. It seems to have last season at Nottingham Forest, until he tweeted back to Neil Warnock, which I found a little bit petty.”
CONTE PERFECT MANAGER FOR SPENCE
At the end of the day, Spurs are putting their time and effort into getting this young prospect through their doors and he’s not going to join just to make up the numbers.
The Champions League side clearly want him to push for a starting birth, with Emerson Royal struggling for large parts of last season.
But someone like Antonio Conte is the perfect manager for Spence and perhaps it’s what he needs at this stage of his career.
At the end of the day, the flying wing-back was trusted enough by Nottingham Forest boss, Steve Cooper, who constantly selected him last season.
So, whilst one thing is being muted about Spence in the media, it’s what he does on the pitch that matters most and so far he is producing the goods.
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