Djed Spence remains one of the most popular loan signings that Nottingham Forest have ever made – even if he chose to sign for Tottenham permanently the season after.
Forest landed Spence very shortly after the summer transfer window had shut in 2021. The paperwork had been completed beforehand but the announcement came after and it felt an intriguing addition.
Spence, still considered a young player then, wasn’t pulling up any trees at Middlesbrough. He was at loggerheads with Neil Warnock who had cast doubts over his ability.
Spence was regularly praised for his efforts at Forest. The work he did in tandem down the right-hand side with Brennan Johnson was a joy to behold in full flight and the pair are now teammates with Tottenham.
Djed Spence makes Nottingham Forest post 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 operating as a left-back in Ange Postecoglou’s team. He started the game against Forest on Boxing Day with Spurs losing 1-0 thanks to a goal from Anthony Elanga.
The defender has played six of the last seven games for Spurs. Postecoglou’s team are in dire form losing their last three matches and five of the last six, with the club languishing in 15th place.
Spence will appreciate the chance to impress at Tottenham. He’s been out on loan to Rennes, Leeds and Genoa since joining the North Londoners, with limited success.
Spence must hold some regrets after turning Forest down
It’s easy for us to say of course but Spence must be holding some regrets. Okay, he’s on a brilliant wage in London and he’s playing for one of the country’s biggest clubs but only recently has regular football been forthcoming.
Had he signed for Forest, he’d have spent another year learning his trade and played every week in the Premier League which might have earned him an even bigger move eventually.
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 just feels a bit sad that he’s never truly going to become a regular at Spurs. He’s likely to be back on the bench or in the stands once everyone is fit and the future doesn’t look as bright as it once did for Spence.
Take nothing away from Spence, he made a good move and decided not to sign for Forest who had to prove themselves as a Premier League football club following promotion.
However, it’s hard not to wonder what might have been for Spence and although he’s playing well at the moment, there’s a real sense that his stay in the Tottenham team will prove shortlived.
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