Lianne Sanderson admits Antonio Conte ‘surprised’ her by not starting Djed Spence in the FA Cup. Tottenham Hotspur hosting Portsmouth was a ‘perfect’ chance for the right-back.
Spence has faced frustration throughout his debut campaign in north London since signing for Spurs last summer. The Premier League squad paid Championship club Middlesbrough an initial £12.5m in July. Add-ons could take Spence’s transfer from Boro up to £20m, too.
Yet Conte has seldom shown any faith in the 22-year-old with his chances to impress thin and very far between. He has yet started a single fixture in any competition in the Italian’s team. Spence had also only played just 28 minutes before Tottenham hosted Portsmouth.
Spence has further only enjoyed five minutes of Premier League football over four fixtures so far this term. Conte awarded the England U21 international his top-flight debut as a late substitute in August. Yet he has appeared off the bench in just a further three games since.
Conte was even against offering Spence an opportunity to impress in the EFL Cup. He only featured for the final 25 minutes of Spurs’ 2-0 third-round defeat at Nottingham Forest in November. The defender had impressed whilst on loan with the Reds to earn his transfer.
Conte ‘surprised’ Sanderson by snubbing Spence in Tottenham vs Portsmouth
Spence earned his transfer to Tottenham during a loan spell with Nottingham Forest from Middlesbrough last term. He penned three goals and five assists in 46 appearances across all competitions. The full-back also impressed in the FA Cup against Arsenal and Leicester.
Yet soon after securing his switch to Spurs, Conte stated that Spence was not a signing he asked Tottenham for. The Italian admitted in July, via quotes by talkSPORT: “Spence is an investment of the club. The club wanted to do it… The club decided to buy him.”
Given the sheer lack of opportunities Conte has given Spence since signing for Tottenham, Sanderson felt the visit of Portsmouth in the FA Cup offered a good chance to hand him a match. Pompey are 12th in League One and have won one of their last 14 third-tier games.
“I’m a bit surprised that Djed Spence hasn’t started in this game,” Sanderson said on Sky Sports News (7/1, 12:50). “I think it would have been the perfect game for him to have got more minutes.
“I know Antonio Conte has said that he’s not one of the players he’s signed but what does that matter?”
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