UEFA U19 Championship - Qualification · Attacker · #9 · England · 22 yrs
Chelsea not only lost to Manchester City in the 2020 FA Youth Cup final, they also had a glimpse of their own future within the opposition ranks. The latest addition is club-record £117m signing Morgan Rogers, who scored against the Blues' under-18s that night six years ago. Fellow City academy graduate Cole Palmer was also on target in City's 3-2 victory at St George's Park, while Liam Delap led the line.
England's Djed Spence has been spotted using a protective mask in the 2026 World Cup game against Ghana, prompting questions on his condition. Despite a challenging domestic season with Tottenham Hotspur, Djed Spence successfully played his way onto England coach Thomas Tuchel’s roster for the 2026 World Cup. With the Three Lions clashing with Norway in a pivotal quarterfinal battle, the right-back has captured the attention of fans by sporting a highly specialized protective face mask on the pitch. Spence is required to wear the customized facial hardware after suffering a fractured jaw during the final weeks of the Premier League season. The injury occurred during a physical May 19 clash against Chelsea, when the 25-year-old defender took a hard, stray elbow to the face from striker Liam Delap in the 87th minute of play. Although he showed immense competitive toughness by finishing out the match, subsequent medical scans confirmed the severe bone fracture. Rather than opting for immediate surgery that would have completely sidelined him from international duty, Spence chose to postpone the operation to fulfill his dream of playing in the tournament. The custom-molded carbon-fiber mask is engineered specifically to shield his lower jawbone from any secondary impacts that could worsen the fracture. Spence initially trialed the medical gear during Tottenham’s final league match against Everton before successfully breaking it in during England’s pre-World Cup friendlies and their group-stage opener against Croatia. Djed Spence of Tottenham Hotspur. Spence on using the mask When questioned about the logistics of playing with restricted facial gear, Spence remained remarkably casual about the situation: “It is a little bit uncomfortable – but it is what it is. I have a broken jaw so I have to wear it throughout the tournament. It is something I will have to get used to.” The London native also opened up about grinding through high-intensity training sessions in the summer heat while adjusting to the gear’s constraints: “It will be three months until it is fully healed, so it is a long time. It was painful, but luckily I play football with my feet and not my jaw so it is all good. I have been wearing it in training, getting used to wearing it in the heat, and trying to break it in properly. It was a crazy challenge, but it is in the past now. I’ve just got to focus on this tournament now.”
Nick: Fringe player to keep, Mamadou Sarr. One to loan, Jamie Gittens, after a year disrupted by injury, a season on loan to another Premier League club would help show if Jamie has what it takes to succeed at a top club. One to sell, Liam Delap.
England defender getting used to protective brace and hopeful of contributing to Tuchel’s tournament effortIn the disorientation of the moment, as Djed Spence lay on the turf, the pain radiating from the left side of his jaw, it was tempting to wonder what flashed through his mind. The Tottenham full-back had been cleaned out by the elbow of Chelsea’s Liam Delap in the closing stages of the penultimate game of the Premier League season. Spence had eyes only for the high ball while Delap looked directly at his opponent before spinning and throwing out his left arm.For starters, there had to be surprise that Delap was not sent off. “Yeah, it was a crazy challenge,” Spence says. What about his involvement in Spurs’ final match of their relegation battle at home against Everton? And beyond that, the World Cup? Did he fear it might be all over for him? Continue reading...
