Djed Spence: Confidence in His Roots, Calm In His Face
PHOTOGRAPHY: Elliott Wilcox / STYLING: CARA HAYWARD / CREATIVE DIRECTION: CHARLOTTE MAYUMI PHIPPS / WORDS: Jordan Wise
England’s newest star is writing history on his own terms. From South London flavour to international breakthrough, Djed Spence opens up on family, faith, and finding peace in the spotlight.
When Djed Spence walked out for England, he didn’t just make a debut. He made history. The first Muslim man to wear the Three Lions shirt. Headlines went global. Socials blew up. Yet the man at the centre of it all walked into the moment with the same cool composure he’s carried since day one.
“I used to do both, but it got to a point where I was too tired to train. My mum said either football or Taekwondo. I chose football and ever since it’s just gone on from there really.”
Football wasn’t a hobby for Spence. It was his life. That early choice was backed by family, his sisters, his mum, his dad, all standing behind him as he rose from South London cages to the bright lights of the Premier League. Spence is quick to point to them when asked where his fearlessness comes from. “Behind me. My sisters, my mum, my dad. South London born. And I’m Jamaican, so you can’t really find a more confident person than that.”
You see that fearlessness every time he steps on the pitch. He is not a player who hides. He is not a player who plays it safe. He will take risks, try things, make defenders uncomfortable. It is the kind of expression that has always belonged to South London, a style soaked in rhythm, self belief, and a refusal to blend in.
But while South London gave him identity, football gave him lessons. His early breakthrough at Middlesbrough was stop start. The system did not always suit his free-flowing game. But when the loan move to Nottingham Forest came, everything clicked. Suddenly, Spence was electric. He lit up the Championship, carried Forest into the Premier League, and put himself on every big club’s radar. “It’s what you dream of as a kid. Full of emotion. A special day for me, for my family. Something I’ll never forget.”
That Forest run earned him his Spurs move. It also earned him respect. Fans and players alike saw a baller who could match pace with anyone, defend with grit, and attack with flair. He was more than a highlight reel full back. He was the future.
And now? He is England’s present.
What makes Spence different is not just his game. It is his grounding. In a sport obsessed with hype, he leans on humility. “My time with God. That’s the one thing off the pitch I never rush.”
That line hits harder than any tackle. In a culture where footballers are often packaged as brands before they are people, Spence is unapologetic about where he finds peace. Pre match, the playlist is always good vibes, the kind of energy that locks him in and sets the tone before stepping onto the pitch. “Before I go on the pitch I always play something that puts me in the right headspace. That’s what sets me right.”
On socials, Spence is equally intentional. He knows the narratives that can swirl around a player if he stays silent. “If you don’t show your personality, people create their own narrative. And that narrative could be false. I think it’s important to push your own narrative, show your personality, and just have fun with it, man. I never take it too serious.”
Still, do not confuse not taking socials seriously with not taking the game seriously. Ask him his goal for the season, and he does not hesitate: “Win a trophy.” No PR gloss. No waffle. Just the words of a player who believes.
It is that mix — confidence from his roots, calm from his faith, perspective from setbacks — that makes Spence one of the most compelling voices in English football right now. He does not just play the game. He lives it differently.
When asked who inspired him growing up, he does not blink. “Cristiano Ronaldo. He’s just phenomenal. My idol.” And while Spence will never be a carbon copy of CR7, you sense that same obsession with self belief. The idea that limits are there to be tested.
Off the pitch, he is playful. Ask him about reality TV, he grins: “Love Island. Casa Amor. Short and sweet. I’d come in there, you know.” Ask him about fashion, and he will tell you his style is “cool, trendy…a little bit of everything.” Ask him what he never lends out, and he deadpans: “My watch.”
On the pitch, though, it is tunnel vision. “Just being myself, really. Just being cool, calm, collective, and I think that works me best. I don’t like to feel pressured by other people. Sometimes you can feel people’s energy, if they’re anxious or stressed. I like to be in my own space. That’s when I’m at my best.”
And when he talks about being at his best, you believe him. Because this is a player who has already etched his name into history. From South London to Spurs to England, Djed Spence has carved his path his own way. Fast on the pitch. Grounded off it. A future built on family, faith, and the unshakeable confidence of someone who knows exactly who he is.
