Spence ‘didn’t have a great time’ with Conte at Tottenham | OneFootball

Djed Spence reflected on his difficult spell at Tottenham at Antonio Conte, admitting he ‘didn’t have a relationship’ with the Italian tactician.

The English full back emerged as an exciting talent during his time with Middlesborough and earnt a circa €15m move to Spurs in July 2022, during Conte’s time at the helm in North London. He barely featured under the coach, seeing only a few minutes of action across four league games.

After spending time with Stade Rennais on loan, Spence returned to Tottenham last year and spent the first half of this season on loan with Leeds before heading to Serie A, joining up with Alberto Gilardino’s Genoa. He’s made five appearances so far in Liguria.

Speaking to The Athletic, Spence looked back at his difficult six-month spell at Tottenham under Conte, revealing the coldness between player and coach.

“I didn’t have a great time. I went there and I didn’t play, so obviously it was hard for me. When you sign somewhere as a player for a big club, you want to be filled with confidence and welcomed with open arms, as I was, but it just didn’t feel right when I went there. Things didn’t go well as I planned.

“When you don’t get a chance, there’s not much you can do as a player. You get lost, you’re not playing, it’s hard to get a rhythm again. It’s never easy going to a new environment when things don’t go well but it’s part of the game. It’s a learning experience.

“I didn’t really have a relationship with him (Conte, ed.), to be honest. He’s a coach that has his way. I don’t think he has much of a relationship with his players. It’s come into training and train, and that’s pretty much it.”

Napoli and Juventus ahead of next season.