Latest news with #DjedSpence
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
Bermuda, Curaçao, Jamaica and Trinidad drawn into CONCACAF all-island World Cup qualifying group
Aston Villa's Leon Bailey, left, and Tottenham Hotspur's Djed Spence battle for the ball during their English Premier League soccer match at Villa Park, Birmingham, England, Friday, May 16, 2025. (Nick Potts/PA via AP) MIAMI (AP) — Bermuda, Curaçao, Jamaica, and Trinidad and Tobago were drawn into an all-island Group B on Thursday night for the third round of World Cup qualifying in North and Central America and the Caribbean. El Salvador, Guatemala, Panama and Suriname were put in Group A, and Costa Rica, Haiti, Honduras, and Nicaragua in Group C. Advertisement A double round-robin will take place in September, October and November, and the three groups winners will qualify for the expanded 48-nation field next year. The region has a minimum six berths, with Canada, Mexico and the United States qualifying automatically as co-hosts. The top two second-place teams advance to six-team playoffs next March that include the No. 7 team from South America, No. 9 team from Asia, the No. 10 team from Africa and New Caledonia, which is the No. 2 team from Oceania. There will be semifinal single legs involving the four lowest-ranked playoff nations, with the winners advancing to single leg finals that will produce two qualifiers. Europe has 16 direct qualifying berths, Africa nine, Asia eight, South America six and Oceania one. ___ AP soccer:
The Sun
23-05-2025
- Entertainment
- The Sun
Tottenham star Djed Spence recreates famous cigar pose he used to troll Neil Warnock after winning Europa League final
DJED SPENCE has taken a cheeky swipe at Neil Warnock after winning the Europa League. The former Nottingham Forest full-back came on as a sub during Wednesday's 1-0 win over Manchester United in Bilbao. 3 3 Spence has enjoyed a strong year after breaking back into the Spurs first XI. The 24-year-old had looked set to exit from North London last summer following loan stints with Rennes, Leeds and Genoa. But he has been a rare bright spot for Spurs in the Premier League this season. And Spence made four appearances in Europe as Tottenham ended their 17-year trophy drought. Spence infamously trolled EFL legend Warnock following Forest's promotion to the Premier League in 2022. He posed in the Wembley dressing room with a cigar in mouth, tagging in his former boss. Warnock had told the flying full-back during his time at Middlesbrough his future was "either Premier League or non league." Spence cationed the snap: "Oh, where's my Manners! Welcome to Twitter @warnockofficial." Typically tongue in cheek, Warnock fired back: "Well done Djed I did say you were premier league or non league, glad you listened and took my advice on board now go and enjoy your success. He added: "Those cigars won't do you any good though son." How Tottenham won the Europa League final v Man United Spence was at it again following Spurs' Europa League triumph - but stayed clear of tagging Warnock this time. He shared a post to his Instagram followers on Friday, pretending to puff on a cigar alongside the Europa League trophy. Spence wrote: "Oh, where's my Manners! .. WELCOME TO @championsleague." One fan responded: "So glad you repeated this pic! The 1st one was iconic." Another said: "Aura is unmatched, love it." While a third joked: "Are you listening Neil?!"
The Sun
20-05-2025
- Sport
- The Sun
Djed Spence almost quit Tottenham for Italian job… but was sent back as club couldn't afford him
DJED SPENCE could easily be in Serie A with Genoa instead of with Tottenham in Bilbao tomorrow. The defender's form has been one of a very few highlights in what has been a tough season for Spurs away from their Europa League run. 2 2 And Genoa sporting director Marco Ottolini revealed he wanted to get Spence on a permanent deal after he spent the second half of last season on loan there. Spence had a torrid spell at Leeds until January 2024 but was a big hit in Italy. Ottolini said 'We were looking for a right-back or wing-back and noticed Djed was not having a good time at Leeds. 'I had known him since 2016 when I saw him in an under-21s game between Fulham and Reading. 'I was working for Anderlecht at the time. 'But you always take notice of these players and you end up following their career. 'I was convinced he had the technical skills to stand out in Serie A. 'We gave Djed the right environment and wanted him to feel at home. 'I think he had a lack of confidence and he needed someone he trusted.' But Ottolini was frustrated at not sealing a deal last summer and seeing Spence, 24, end up a crucial part of Ange Postocoglou's injury-hit squad, making 25 appearances in all competitions. BATTLE FOR BILBAO: The Road to the Europa League Final Ottolini said: 'We tried to sign him but for financial reasons we could not do it. I think we could have signed him for £6.7million from Spurs but his salary was heavy. 'We had a few things going on with the ownership that summer and we could just not do it. So we sent him back to England — and look at him now.'
BBC News
19-05-2025
- Sport
- BBC News
Pick your Tottenham player of the season
We asked our Tottenham fan contributor for their four candidates for player of the season and you can now select your top one. Lucas BergvallBergvall has more than lived up to the promise he showed in pre-season. Not only has he excelled on and off the ball, he has never stopped striving for the win. When more seasoned professionals around him have struggled to lead the team, this young player has risen to the KulusevskiDeki had a particularly strong start to the campaign and is integral to our pressing style and ball retention. Don't let his time out with injury shorten your memory - the Swede's statistics speak volumes as to his dominance in a Spurs shirt this SpenceA breath of fresh air and a much-needed injection of hope, Spence's performances this season have demonstrated what it means to play without fear. He has been a joy to watch as he took on the opposition with courage and creativity, driving us up the pitch at home and in SolankeThe engine of our team, Solanke simply never gives up. Even when heads behind him in midfield have dropped, he has kept running, kept pressing, kept trying. Some will criticise the number of goals scored, but no-one should underestimate the crucial work Solanke has done off the ball for us this mentionsBrennan Johnson still receives a mixed reception from some of the Spurs faithful, but you can't argue with his impressive goal contributions this season – not only the number, but the significance of some of the goals too. As for Archie Gray, what an outstanding first season from him - and in an unfamiliar position. Thrown in at the deep end, at times he outperformed his more experienced peers. To dare is to do, your 2024-25 Tottenham player of the season from our shortlist hereAnd tell us why you're picking who you are, or why you'd have gone for another player not on the list, here Find more from Ali Speechly at Women Of The Lane, external and on Instagram, external
BBC News
19-05-2025
- Sport
- BBC News
How important has Spence become to Tottenham?
Before 15 December, Tottenham Hotspur full-back Djed Spence had played just 64 minutes of Premier League football this season. Since, he has completed 90 minutes in 19 of Spurs' 22 league transformation is stark. At first, Spence was so far down Ange Postecoglou's pecking order that he was not even included in the squad for the Europa League group stage, coming in for the knockout has been one of the most compelling individual stories this season – a breakthrough at age 24 that comes comparatively late for a top-flight footballer. Such has been his rise, there was clamour for him to feature in Thomas Tuchel's first England squad last missed out with Arsenal's Myles Lewis-Skelly instead called up as the debutant left-back, despite the Spurs man making more Premier League tackles, interceptions, clearances, blocks and defensive headers this campaign. With his mix of physicality, athleticism, defensive ability and attacking skill, aligned with his right-footedness, the man who was a few months ago a Spurs outcast now seems well adapted to the demands of being a Premier League left-back or left sporting director Kieran Scott spoke to BBC Sport about Spence's physical prowess. "His athleticism is so natural, he can play in the Premier League just purely down to what he's born with and he can play football, he's got ability," says Scott."I'm not shocked to see him playing ability-wise, it was just more down to application. He's got it right and it's working well and he's got to stay at that level."I always thought he had the ability to play in the Premier League. Not many players can run as fast as him for as long as him and just can keep doing it."Modern day football is why he is where he is."Read more on Spence and his Spurs career
