Djed Spence‘s inclusion in Thomas Tuchel's World Cup squad undoubtedly raised eyebrows.
While Spence has emerged as a Tuchel favourite since making his England debut in September 2025, the versatile full-back seemingly hadn't done enough amid a wretched 2025/26 campaign for Spurs to get himself on the plane to North America.
He was used only sparingly by Roberto De Zerbi down the stretch, often in more advanced areas to make up for our lack of talent in the forward line. Few Spurs supporters expected Tuchel to retain his faith in Spence, even if the Three Lions aren't exactly blessed with a glut of outstanding full-backs.
But the German cherishes versatility and loves Spence's athleticism, not to mention his one-on-one ability defensively. That could come in handy when England face up against elite opposition in the knockout stages. We've seen Spence have success against some of the Premier League's most gifted wingers.
He appeared off the bench in the exuberant 4-2 win over Croatia, and was handed a maiden World Cup start on Tuesday night against Ghana. Deployed as a left-back, Spence was fine but the wrong fit for this fixture. Still, he was able to win over supporters even before a ball was kicked.
Spence refused to shake Thomas Partey's hand before dire stalemate
Thomas Partey wasn't granted entry into Canada for Ghana's opening game of the World Cup against Panama. The former Arsenal midfielder has been charged with five counts of rape and one of sexual assault, with his trial scheduled for next year.
Partey denies all charges and hasn't yet been proven guilty, I hasten to add. He's currently plying his trade at club level with Villarreal in La Liga.
With the legalities surrounding such an issue so delicate, few have been able to speak up. However, questions were raised in the build-up to Tuesday's game in Boston as to whether the England players would take a stand.
Seemingly keen to avoid any controversy, cameras panned away from the pre-match handshakes between the two sets of players. However, videos captured by those in the stands at Gillette Stadium showed one man avoiding the embrace of Ghana's accused No. 5: Spence.
— Chris I’Anson-Miller (@WindyCOYS) June 24, 2026
Partey looked back in bemusement, seemingly curious as to why the Tottenham defender refused even to look him in the eye. Let me tell you, Thomas, it wasn't a north London rivalry thing.
Still, Partey arguably had the last laugh in this instance (as well as a hug from former teammate Declan Rice), as Ghana frustrated the life out of England and held Tuchel's men to a stalemate. Spence was among the first to be withdrawn after a steady enough performance, but this was a game for the surges of Nico O'Reilly.
Nevertheless, for a brief moment, Spence was an English hero.
Add us as a preferred source on Google