Djed Spence has responded to accusations that he was let go by Leeds United owing to timekeeping issues.
Spence joined Leeds on a season-long loan from Tottenham in the summer, but his tenure with the club was cut short during the first few days of the January transfer window.
From the outside, it appeared that Spence was settling well at Elland Road despite missing three months of the season with only one appearance due to injury.
His departure surprised many at Spurs, but rumors have subsequently emerged that Daniel Farke was dissatisfied with some of his time-keeping, implying that he arrived late too frequently.
However, in an interview with the Athletic, Spence denied this and claimed that it had been ‘blown out of proportion’.
Spence denies lateness charges in Leeds.
He responded, “I don’t think that’s fair at all. I do not necessarily agree with what they say. But this is how football works: you have to keep your head down, keep trying, and eventually prove everyone wrong.
“Some of it is blown out of proportion. You can be late once, and it’s an issue if you’re not playing, but not if you’re playing.”
Spence has now moved on loan to Serie A club Genoa, where he has been in and out of the squad, but club officials have been impressed with how he has carried himself.
There were accusations at Leeds that Spence arrived late to a meeting with Farke where he was due to be informed that his loan would be terminated, but the 23-year-old firmly disputes this.
Unfortunately, it appears that this was one of those signings that did not work out for either party, and the addition of Connor Roberts has gone a long way toward replacing him in the squad.
