Tottenham defender admits he ‘didn’t really have a relationship’ with Conte 

Djed Spence has revealed that he never really developed a relationship with Antonio Conte and he admitted that he found it quite difficult to cope...

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Djed Spence has revealed that he never really developed a relationship with Antonio Conte and he admitted that he found it quite difficult to cope with being repeatedly overlooked by the Italian.

Tottenham paid £20m to land Spence from Middlesbrough in the summer of 2022 and there was plenty of excitement at Spurs about the right-back’s capture.

The youngster arrived at North London on the back of a fantastic season on loan at Nottingham Forest, having garnered a reputation as one of the best young players in the Championship.

However, Spence never really got much of a look in at Tottenham under Conte, with the 23-year-old admitting that it was a testing experience at Hotspur Way.

When asked about his struggles at Spurs, he told The Athletic: “I didn’t have a great time. I went there and I didn’t play, so obviously it was hard for me. When you sign somewhere as a player for a big club, you want to be filled with confidence and welcomed with open arms, as I was, but it just didn’t feel right when I went there. Things didn’t go well as I planned.

“When you don’t get a chance, there’s not much you can do as a player. You get lost, you’re not playing, it’s hard to get a rhythm again. It’s never easy going to a new environment when things don’t go well but it’s part of the game. It’s a learning experience.”

Djed Spence and Antonio Conte barely spoke

It became quite apparent soon after Spence’s move to Spurs that Conte was not overly keen on him, with the former Tottenham head coach referring to him as a ‘club signing’ (talkSPORT).

When asked about that comment from the Italian, the right-back said: “I didn’t really have a relationship with him, to be honest. He’s a coach that has his way. I don’t think he has much of a relationship with his players. It’s come into training and train — and that’s pretty much it.”

Spence has delivered a couple of solid displays since his loan switch to Genoa and although he is yet to become a fixture in the Serie A club’s starting eleven, he is confident that things will click for him.

Speaking about his time in Italy, the on-loan Tottenham man said: “I know what I’m capable of as a player. When I find my feet properly, it will go well for me.”

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With hindsight, Spence will be ruing his decision to move to Tottenham as a whole host of top-flight clubs wanted him in 2022.

It looks like he was caught in a powerplay between Paratici and Conte at Spurs, with the former being the one who insisted on his signing and the latter not being too keen on playing him.

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