Djed Spence provided the assist for Harry Kane’s goal against New Zealand in England’s first warm-up friendly, showcasing his resilience despite playing with a broken jaw. The Tottenham full-back suffered the injury in the penultimate Premier League game of the season after a challenge from Chelsea’s Liam Delap, who escaped a red card. Spence, 25, played on and helped Spurs secure a 1-0 win over Everton to avoid relegation, wearing a protective jaw brace.
Spence’s Unwavering Focus
Reflecting on the incident, Spence said: “It was a crazy challenge. It was painful but luckily I play football with my feet and not my jaw. So I was all good.” He has adapted to the brace, which he will wear throughout the World Cup. “It’s a little bit uncomfortable but it is what it is. I’ve got a broken jaw so I have to wear it throughout the tournament. It’ll be three months until it’s fully healed, so it’s a long time,” Spence explained.
Tuchel’s Faith in Spence
England manager Thomas Tuchel has consistently selected Spence, valuing his speed, defensive one-on-one ability, and versatility. Spence, primarily a right-back, has been repurposed on the left side by Spurs and continues to develop in that role. “I’m naturally a right-back, but I’ve been playing left-back for a couple of years now. I’m still learning the position, but versatility is a good strength to have,” he said.
Spence’s assist against New Zealand was his first of the season in 48 games for club and country. He acknowledges the need to improve his attacking output: “Everyone knows how good I am one v one but going forward is a bit different playing on the left. There’s still stuff I can improve on and I’ve got to try to get more numbers.”
Social Media Banter and Team Focus
Spence is known for his confidence, having joked about “locking up” wingers. After Arsenal mocked him with a “locked up” post, Spence retaliated after their Champions League exit. However, with England teammates Bukayo Saka, Declan Rice, Noni Madueke, and Eberechi Eze joining the squad, Spence is focused on the tournament. “No jokes. We have to focus on the tournament and hopefully it’s going to be a good one. We can joke afterwards,” he said.
