Troy Deeney questions Djed Spence’s defensive reliability, but England and Tottenham statistics tell a very different story.
Troy Deeney’s dismissive assessment of Djed Spence ahead of England’s World Cup group stage clash against Panama has drawn sharp criticism, with the statistics from the tournament so far painting a picture that directly contradicts the former striker’s blunt verdict on the Tottenham man.
Spence came off the bench in the 63rd minute against Panama, adding to his growing tally of World Cup minutes in North America. His involvement across the tournament now tells a quietly compelling story. Against Ghana, starting at left back, he won 100 per cent of his ground duels and posted a 96 per cent passing accuracy across a 65-minute performance that earned him a 7.0 FotMob rating. England conceded just 0.17 expected goals during that game. In the Croatia opener, where Spence did not start, England conceded 0.70 xG and shipped two goals before he came on, and defensive solidity was restored.
Deeney, however, chose to ignore that body of evidence entirely, delivering a verdict on talkSPORT that raised eyebrows across the football community. He said (h/t Tottenham News):
“When we’re saying Spence, who is our left-back option, is now going to be our right-back option, I really struggle to see why we didn’t take Lewis Hall. I do worry, if we go to Spence, sorry, I can’t stand him defensively, I think he switches off.”
Djed Spence was only dribbled past 10 times
The criticism is particularly difficult to reconcile with Spence’s actual defensive record. The 25-year-old was dribbled past just 10 times across 30 Premier League appearances for Tottenham last season, placing him among the more reliable one-on-one defenders in the division. The specific concern about his defensive concentration simply does not hold up against that data.
Deeney did concede that Spence’s offensive contribution was creditable, though that partial acknowledgement only made the broader negativity feel more selective and less coherent. His continued involvement in Thomas Tuchel’s plans, despite only earning eight caps across his international career, speaks to a player who has made an impression within the England camp regardless of what external pundits choose to say about him.
For a player who spent much of last season helping Tottenham survive a relegation battle, representing England at a home World Cup and earning minutes in the knockout stages represents a remarkable personal turnaround. Deeney’s words were designed to cast doubt. The evidence from the tournament itself has done the opposite.