Djed Spence is using past criticism as fuel for his burgeoning career, remembering those who doubted him, including former coaches Antonio Conte and Neil Warnock. The Tottenham full-back, who has earned his first call-up to the England senior squad, sees this as a fitting response to those who questioned his ability.

Spence's journey to the England squad has been challenging. He was sent out on loan three times by Tottenham before finally establishing himself in the Premier League. Before joining Tottenham, while on loan at Middlesbrough in 2021, then-manager Neil Warnock warned him that without improved dedication, he could be playing non-league football within five years.

Spence admits that he keeps a mental note of people who doubted him and feels good about proving them wrong. He stated, "I wouldn't say I particularly have a list but I do have a mental note of people who doubted me, for sure, and it does feel good to prove them wrong". He has always had to fight for his position and deal with disappointment from a young age.

After winning promotion to the Premier League with Nottingham Forest, where he was on loan from Middlesbrough, Spence playfully responded to Warnock on social media with a picture of himself smoking a cigar while holding the playoff trophy. He later reprised the image after winning the Europa League last season.

Spence's arrival at Tottenham in 2022 was met with a cold reception from then-Spurs head coach Antonio Conte, who publicly distanced himself from the player, calling him "an investment of the club" rather than a personal signing. Spence admitted that those words stung and "shattered" his confidence. "It wasn't a nice feeling to be honest,” Spence admitted. “I was coming to the club on a high. I was confident, buzzing, I'd had a great season and just won promotion with my club. Then when I came in I ran into a brick wall really".

Spence felt that whatever he did, Conte was never happy. He felt like he was constantly questioning himself, even when he did things correctly. He also felt that Conte wasn't much of a complimenting guy, which made things even more difficult.

Spence believes he was too humble when he first joined Tottenham, giving too much respect to the players and the surroundings. He thought things would just happen without him saying or doing anything, but he realized that he needed to express himself more.

Despite the setbacks, Spence is determined to prove his doubters wrong and make the most of his opportunity with England. He recognizes that he has something that a lot of fullbacks don't have, with the ability to attack and defend effectively. He is focused on improving and becoming the best player he can be.