Neil Warnock says he's happy to see Djed Spence doing well at Tottenham despite their previous falling out
tbrfootball.com
Neil Warnock discusses Djed Spence’s rise at Tottenham
Warnock spoke about how good Spence has been recently.
The former Middlesbrough manager says he’s very happy to see Spence doing so well, even if they didn’t get on.
Warnock says that he never holds grudges and that, ultimately, he’s happy to see his former player thriving.
“Well, I watched Djed Spence and I thought, what a player, you know. Unfortunately for me, I’m hoping that some of the things I said to him at Middlesbrough might have come through. Because he wasn’t a nice lad.
“He had a few problems, I thought, at Middlesbrough. And he had to sort himself out. But last night, when you looked at him on the pitch last night, I even thought, I bet he’s done all right off the pitch now.
“I’m hoping he has. Because I didn’t like him as a person. But skill-wise, that was never in doubt, really.”
“But even when he first went to Tottenham, you know, I was watching him and he was like, he wasn’t playing in position, I thought. You know, he was getting dragged all over the place. He’s learnt so quick, hasn’t he?
“He’s had to as well. I mean, he’s had to do and, you know, when we had our disagreement, I won’t tell you what it was about, but it was in Covid and he wasn’t clever, really. I was disappointed in him.
“But he was one of them that you’d say, you don’t know whether he’s going to end up at Bromley or he’s going to end up at Spurs. You know, it’s up to him, really..
“And when he went to Spurs, I don’t think Conte wanted him. I think they bought him because they wanted to get some English players in, I think, because I don’t think Conte wanted him, if I’m honest. But, and you’ll give him a chance.
“And I looked at it, I thought he was refreshing me. That’s nice. Everything he did, I thought, that’ll do for me.”
“That and I don’t hold grudges against players like that. I get disappointed in somebody off the field if I think what they’re doing is wrong. And so, and you know, you can’t, you try and, you try as a manager, you try and right the wrongs and you try and help players become better people.
“And sometimes you’re successful and sometimes you’re not. You can’t win everyone. But I hope the pennies drop within me.
“I remember a big picture somebody showed me when he went, he had a big cigar and having a go at me, you know, about what I said, but listen, it gives me a lot of pleasure when I see him playing like he did the other night.”
View: https://x.com/DjedSpence/status/1530991112176934912
View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tryqSuoTXLA