Djed Spence remained one of Nottingham Forest’s most popular loan players, despite his decision to move permanently for Tottenham the following season.
Forest signed Spence shortly after the summer transfer window closed in 2021. The paperwork had been finished previously, but the announcement came after, and it felt like an interesting addition.
Spence, who was still regarded as a young player at the time, wasn’t doing much for Middlesbrough. He was at odds with Neil Warnock, who had cast doubt on his ability.
Spence received frequent accolades for his efforts at Forest. In full flight, he and Brennan Johnson worked wonders down the right side, and the two are now Tottenham teammates.
Djed Spence creates a Nottingham Forest message on social media
Weirdly, Spence took a Snapchat this week to post some memories from his time at Forest. The promotion hero has just got into the Tottenham team amid a host of injuries and the timing feels odd.
He’s posted a number of videos and photos featuring him alongside his Forest teammates during the promotion season, celebrating, scoring goals and winning awards.
Spence has been playing as a left back for Ange Postecoglou’s team. He began the game against Forest on Boxing Day, which Spurs lost 1-0 thanks to Anthony Elanga’s goal.
The defender has appeared in six of Tottenham’s past seven games. Postecoglou’s team has lost its last three matches and five of its last six, leaving the club in 15th place.
Spence will welcome the opportunity to impress at Tottenham. Since joining the North Londoners, he has been loaned out to Rennes, Leeds, and Genoa with limited success.
Spence must have some regrets after turning Forest down.
It’s simple for us to say, but Spence must be feeling some sorrow. Okay, he earns a great deal of money in London and plays for one of the country’s biggest clubs, but regular football has only recently arrived.
Had he signed for Forest, he would have spent another year learning his trade and playing every week in the Premier League, potentially earning him a bigger move in the future.
Under Steve Cooper, he played the best football that he’s ever produced. Spence proved Neil Warnock wrong to a certain degree and he did deserve the move to Tottenham.
However, it’s unfortunate that he’ll never be a regular at Spurs. He’ll most likely return to the bench or the stands once everyone is healthy, and Spence’s future does not look as promising as it once did.
Take nothing away from Spence, he made a decent choice and decided not to join for Forest who had to show themselves as a Premier League football team following promotion.
However, it’s difficult not to wonder what might have been for Spence, and while he’s currently performing well, there’s a strong sense that his time with Tottenham will be brief.
