It is fair to say that Djed Spence was something of an unknown quantity to football supporters across England, not just those in Nottingham, when he arrived at the City Ground on a season-long loan in September 2021.
He had been a regular across a couple of seasons at parent club Middlesbrough, but few knew what to expect from an enigmatic talent who was as capable of producing the ridiculous as he was the sublime.
As it turns out, Spence just needed to be let off the leash and offered the freedom and backing from a supportive coach that he had been crying out for.
Step forward Steve Cooper. Spence has been a revelation at Nottingham Forest, helping them to become 10/3 shots for promotion in English Championship betting odds. A play-off spot may end up being the best that the Reds can hope for, but Championship outright predictions are starting to fall in their favour.
A buccaneering right-back has helped to make that possible, with there a distinct possibility that Premier League football could soon be returned to Trentside for the first time this century. If such a step up is to be taken, then instant heroes will be made of those who helped to turn dreams into reality.
If Forest were to rub shoulders with the English football elite once more in 2022-23, the chances are that Spence will not be around to savour an outpouring of emotion from a success-starved fan base. If Cooper’s men do end up falling short, then a member of their loan army seems set to head for the big time regardless.
Heading on up
Former Boro boss Neil Warnock once famously said of Spence: “He could be playing at a top club in England or in non-league in five years, I don’t know.â€
Said assessment feels a little harsh in the present, with exploits in the East Midlands taken into account, but they were fair enough when first offered up in the North East. Potential was clear for all to see, but there are never any guarantees that undoubted ability will be unlocked.
Football can be as much about attitude and mentality as it is pace and power, and Spence is starting to show that he has all of those qualities in abundance. It now appears to be only a matter of time before he is the subject of a big-money bid from a major player on the European scene.
There has been talk of interest from north London neighbours Arsenal and Tottenham, of Manchester United sanctioning scouting missions and Bundesliga champions Bayern Munich mulling over a move to take a man who now forms part of the England U21 ranks over to Germany.
Spence would not look out of place in any of those locations. He is an affable yet confident character who knows full well that he has the world at his feet and that it is solely on him to prove that he can enjoy many more than 15 minutes of fame.
He needed somebody to light a fuse for him and the words of Warnock, along with the careful nurturing of Cooper, have ensured that Spence’s star is now ready to sail off into orbit.
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