Djed Spence’s journey from being an outcast in Tottenham to being named at Thomas Tuchel’s England squad is one of modern footballs most remarkable turnarounds.
The 25-year-old defender who came from Fulham academy has undoubtably been one of Tottenham’s key aspects regarding their relegation escape.
Despite providing 0 goals and 0 assists in 29 league appearances Spence modified his role into a deeper, possession-oriented fullback rather than a traditional high wing-back.
The right-footed fullback plays on the right-back traditionally, yet he has proven his versatility by playing as an inverted left-back for majority of the matches. His ability to keep possession under pressure made him indispensable to the system.
On May 22, 2026, Thomas Tuchel finalized England’s 26-man roster for the 2026 world cup.
Spence won the highly contested fullback spot over Real Madrid’s Trent Alexander-Arnold and Newcastle’s Lewis Hall, a selection that shocked pundits and media.
Tuchel publicly justified the shock pick by highlighting Spence’s versatility to play across both flanks and praised him as “the fastest player in our squad”
As expected, Spence didn’t wait long to log on and lean into the hype, taking to Instagram to celebrate his monumental and career-defining moment with some rather confusing and hyped-up posts.
In Instagram he also put up a story where he wrote captions in his heart’s content where he talks about his struggles, dreams and breakthroughs.
The viral celebratory IG story from Djed Spence is written in Jamaican Patois which is an English-based creole language mixed with modern UK street-slang. It reflects his British-Jamaican heritage and carries deep, emotional weight about his football journey.
Here’s our best try on deciphering Spence’s post.
- “FAAAAAAAAAAAAR MI COME FROM!” – “I have come such a long way”
- “DEM WOULDNT UNDERSTAND THE STRUGGLE!” – “They would never understand how hard I’ve had to struggle.”
- “10x HARDER JUST FI GET A CHANCE brogad, JUST A CHANCE” – “I had to work 10 times harder just to get an opportunity, my brother. Literally just one opportunity”
- “KEEP BELIEVING IN YOURSELF YOUNG KING, YOUR SUCCESS IS ON THE OTHERSIDE OF YOUR FAILURES YUTE. BELIEVE!!!” – “Never stop believing in yourself, young man. Your success is waiting for you right after you push through your failures, kid. Just believe!”
- “BORN FI GREATNESS LONG B4 GUINNES MEK” – “I was destined for greatness long before the Guinnness (the famous dark beer) was ever invented”
Spence bypassed the PR agency to deliver a raw message rooted in British-Jamaican heritage. His opening line “FAAAAAAAAAAAAR MI COME FROM!” is a reminder of his rough and turbulent path.
By shouting out his close peers (brogads) and declaring he had to work 10 times the harder he reflects how he was forced to play with a fractured jaw.
Instead of attacking his critics, Spence beautifully pivots to mentor the younger generation (yutes), telling them that success lies on the other side of the failure.
His tweet is a reminder that he didn’t just get lucky he earned his spot World Cup squad spot by sheer force of will.
