Having trained and played with several top players at Tottenham Hotspur, Djed Spence must need no reminding of the quality they possess.
Tottenham have had a disappointing season but that does not take away from how good some of the personnel is at their disposal.
Ledley King has called Spence “fantastic” and his form is an insight into the fact that Spurs’ struggles are multi-factorial.
Djed Spence perhaps knows better than most than football has his twists and turns and an underwhelming spell cannot define a player’s career.
Stalwarts like Heung-min Son and James Maddison serve as perfect examples as they have not had their finest seasons but it would be disingenuous to deny that they remain assets to this Tottenham side.
Djed Spence calls James Maddison one of the Premier League’s best
Spence would especially look up to Maddison, given the fact that he is also English and rose up from the lower leagues to become a star in the Premier League.
Maddison has lauded Spence’s displays at Tottenham himself as the 24-year-old has turned his career around.
But the former Leicester City maverick has come under fire this campaign, with Emmanuel Petit accusing Maddison of not stepping up.
However, Spence said on Rio Ferdinand Presents that in his eyes, Maddison is undeniably one of the best players in the Premier League: “He’a a top player, man. For me, he’s one of the best in the Premier League. You can’t discredit him.”
“I feel like when he’s in the team, he’s just someone we can look to and he can make the difference so I feel he’s a pivotal part of the team, Madders.”
How James Maddison has helped Djed Spence behind the scenes
Maddison would be delighted by Spence’s praise towards him as appreciation from a fellow teammate must feel particularly special for players.
Ange Postecoglou revealed Maddison has worked hard in training and his work ethic led to an early return from injury as he started against Manchester United and scored the one and only goal in the Lilywhites’ 1-0 win.
Spence also told Rio Ferdinand on his podcast that the £40 million (BBC Sport) man is the one player at Tottenham who he always goes to for advice.
“To be fair, I would say Madders, to be fair. Yeah, he always gives me a little pep talk sometimes. Not a pep talk but…he’s there for me, makes sure I’m ready before games.”
“To be fair, even after games, he’ll text me, if he’s not been in the squad through injury, he’ll text me and be like, ‘Yeah, Djed, you know what to do today’ or he wants to see this from me so yeah, I think Madders supports me a lot to be fair.”
