Diop Tehuti Djed-Hotep Spence (born 9 August 2000) is an English professional footballer who plays as a full-back for Serie A club Inter Milan and the England national team.
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Early life
Spence was born in London as Diop Tehuti Djed-Hotep Spence. He is the younger brother of actress Karla-Simone Spence. He is of Jamaican descent. During his childhood, Spence played for Peckham Town and Junior Elite at grassroots level.
Club career
Middlesbrough
Spence signed for Middlesbrough on 1 July 2018, having previously been with Fulham's academy. He made his debut for Middlesbrough in the EFL Cup on 14 August 2018, appearing as a substitute versus Notts County at the Riverside Stadium. Spence made his league debut for Middlesbrough in a 1–0 win over Charlton Athletic on 7 December 2019, scoring his first league goal in a 1–0 win against Huddersfield Town on 26 December 2019.
On 11 January 2020, Spence won the EFL Young Player of the Month following his league debut, first goal, and three clean sheets.
On 1 September 2021, it was announced Spence would join Nottingham Forest on loan for the remainder of the season. He scored his first goal for Forest in a 3–0 win over Birmingham City on 2 October. Spence impressed in FA Cup victories over Premier League clubs Arsenal and Leicester City, scoring the fourth in a 4–1 victory over the latter.
Spence was awarded the EFL Championship Player of the Month award for March 2022 as well as being nominated for the Goal of the Month award following his long range strike against Queens Park Rangers which he was ultimately awarded. Having also been nominated for the Championship Young Player of the Season, Spence made it a hat-trick of awards for March 2022 when he won the EFL Young Player of the Month award for the second time in his career, becoming the first player to win it twice in the process.
Spence played a vital role in Nottingham Forest's promotion winning side, and was featured in both the EFL Championship Team of the Season and the PFA Championship team of the season.
Tottenham Hotspur
On 19 July 2022, Tottenham Hotspur announced the signing of Spence on a five-year contract, for a reported fee of £20 million. Manager Antonio Conte swiftly disowned the signing, describing Spence as "an investment by the club". Spence later revealed that this "shattered [his] confidence".
Ahead of Tottenham's game against Nottingham Forest on 29 August, Conte praised Spence for his efforts in training; he rewarded him with his Tottenham and Premier League debut, bringing him on as a late substitute in a 2–0 win. Further appearances were limited, however: Spence had made just six by the end of January.
On 31 January 2023, Spence joined Ligue 1 side Stade Rennais on a loan until the end of the 2022–23 season. He made ten appearances for Rennes, including nine starts, one of which was a 2–0 win over Paris Saint-Germain at the Parc des Princes, the Parisian team's first league defeat at home in 23 months.
Spence's minutes became limited after Rennes captain Hamari Traore returned from injury in April, and the loan was cut short by a knee injury which saw Spence return to England for treatment.
On 30 August 2023, EFL Championship club Leeds United announced the signing of Spence on a season-long loan from Tottenham Hotspur. He made his debut for the club in a Championship fixture against Sheffield Wednesday on 2 September, coming on as a second-half substitute in a 0–0 draw.
On 18 September 2023, Spence suffered a knee ligament injury in training that would see him out of action for until December. He made his comeback from injury on 9 December, playing 20 minutes against Blackburn Rovers and went on to start Leeds' next five Championship fixtures.
On 4 January 2024, Leeds triggered a break clause to terminate Spence's loan spell, seeing him return to Tottenham Hotspur. Leeds manager Daniel Farke said the decision was made due to concerns about Spence's attitude.
On 11 January 2024, Spence signed for Serie A club Genoa on a loan deal until the end of the season. He made 16 Serie A appearances for the Rossoblù in the second half of the season. However, the club was unable to meet the option to buy fee of £8.5m at the end of his loan spell and he returned to Tottenham Hotspur.
Inter Milan
On 15 August 2026, Spence joined Serie A side Inter Milan for a reported fee of €31.5 million plus bonuses, signing a five-year contract.
International career
In March 2022, Spence earned a first international call up to the England Under-21 squad for the European Championship Qualifying matches against Andorra and Albania. He made his debut as a substitute during a 3–0 victory away to the latter on 29 March 2022.
Spence was called up to the senior England squad for the first time on 29 August 2025. On 9 September 2025, Spence made his debut for the English senior squad in a 5–0 victory against Serbia in the 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifiers, replacing Reece James in the 69th minute.
2026 FIFA World Cup
On 22 May 2026, Spence was selected in the 26-man squad for the 2026 FIFA World Cup. He made his World Cup debut as a substitute in England's 4–2 opening group match win over Croatia on 17 June. He then started at left back in the following match against Ghana on 23 June, playing 66 minutes before being substituted for Nico O'Reilly. After making another substitute appearance in the 2–0 win over Panama in the team's final group match, Spence started at right back in the round of 32 match against the Democratic Republic of the Congo on 1 July, playing 70 minutes. He went on to appear as a substitute in both the 3–2 win over Mexico in the round of 16 and the 2–1 win over Norway in the quarter-final. During most of the tournament, he wore a custom protective jaw brace after sustaining an injury from a hit by Liam Delap in a Premier League match against Chelsea prior to the World Cup. He removed the brace midway through the quarter-final match and did not wear it for the remainder of the tournament. Spence also played in the third-place match against France. He would draw a foul which led to a penalty kick as England defeated France 6-4 and secured third place.
Style of play
Spence primarily plays as a right-back, and is known for his pace and dribbling ability. He has been praised by Ian Wright, who described him as "combative, technical, swashbuckling", and Wes Morgan, who compared him to a Rolls-Royce.
Personal life
Spence is a convert to Islam and the first Muslim player to represent the senior England men's national football team.
Career statistics
Club
As of match played 31 October 2026
International
As of match played 18 July 2026
Honours
Nottingham Forest
EFL Championship play-offs: 2022
Tottenham Hotspur
UEFA Europa League: 2024–25
England
FIFA World Cup third place: 2026
Individual
EFL Young Player of the Month: December 2019, March 2022
EFL Championship Player of the Month: March 2022
EFL Championship Goal of the Month: March 2022
EFL Championship Team of the Season: 2021–22
PFA Team of the Year: 2021–22 Championship