Djed Spence set for crucial Leeds United role after what Daniel Farke said in last 24 hours
Leeds United defender Djed Spence is surely gearing up for a crucial role in the team after some encouraging Daniel Farke comments this past week.
Spence has only played just once for the Whites since joining on loan from Tottenham in the summer, having been blighted by a knee injury and illness in recent weeks.
In a fresh new boost for the Whites, the Englishman was spotted arriving with the squad before their 3-1 win over Swansea City on Wednesday, involved with the matchday squad without making an appearance.
The defender has been edged back to full fitness slowly but surely and it’s clear that Farke is still being cautious with the Tottenham Hotspur loanee.
With eight games to play over the next four and a half weeks, though, Spence’s time will come sooner rather than later but the Leeds United boss Farke has certainly given the indication that the Tottenham loanee won’t be just a bit-part player in his squad.
Speaking before the Swansea win (via Leeds Live, 29 November), on Spence’s recovery and inclusion in the squad, Farke said: “Djed is 11 or 12 days in training and you can see him growing more or less from training session to training session.
“Today we got the feeling he deserves already to be in the squad because the last days and training he was quite on it and it was quite impressive for that we decided today to have Djed as an option also with us.
“If he works that concentrated and focused, especially on this fitness level, because we don’t have to talk about this potential and his quality, he has proved this on this level, but if you work further on that, focused and concentrated in training each and every day and also to gain more and more rhythm.
“Yes, also good chances in the upcoming weeks to be involved with game time.”
Spence was signed by the club in the summer to bolster the full-back options available to Daniel Farke, with Cody Drameh allowed to leave as a result.
But he almost immediately picked up an injury and Farke has instead opted to use Archie Gray and Jamie Shackleton as makeshift options instead of the experienced Luke Ayling.
Now Spence is fit again and available, he could add a whole new dimension to the squad out wide and is already proven at this level.
The 2021/22 campaign looked to be Spence’s breakout year at Nottingham Forest as he registered two goals and four assists from 42 Championship appearances while registering six big chances created, 1.0 key passes per game, helping Forest to 15 clean sheets and excelling tremendously in his defensive actions [SofaScore].
Stats which marked him out as one of the most complete young full-backs in the country and received glowing praise from Arsenal legend Ian Wright hailing him as “unbelievable”.
Certainly, the young full-back will still need a couple more weeks to get up to speed with Farke’s demands given the length of time he’s been out but the German has certainly given all the inclinations necessary to suggest Spence will be a crucial component in his revitalised Leeds United squad.
In other Leeds news, high-earning star “burning with desire” to leave Elland Road in January.