Djed Spence has one of the most inspirational stories in modern English football. The London born Tottenham full back made history in September 2025 when he became the first openly Muslim player ever to represent the England senior men's national team. He has battled back from being frozen out by Antonio Conte at Tottenham, three different loan spells across France, England and Italy, and the kind of doubts that would have ended weaker careers, to become a senior England international and a regular under Thomas Frank. In this 2026 deep dive we look at his current life in north London, his earnings, his very private personal life, his recent injury record, his Islamic faith, his Kenyan and Jamaican parents, his famous actress sister Karla-Simone, and all the questions fans keep typing into Google and AI search tools.
Djed Spence Profile
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Full Name |
Diop Tehuti Djed-Hotep Spence |
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Date of Birth |
9 August 2000 |
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Age |
25 years old |
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Place of Birth |
Kensington, London, England |
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Height |
6 ft 0 in (1.84 m) |
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Position |
Full Back |
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Current Club |
Tottenham Hotspur |
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Net Worth (2026) |
$5 million to $8 million |
Who is Djed Spence?
Diop Tehuti Djed-Hotep Spence is a 25 year old English professional footballer who plays as a full back for Premier League club Tottenham Hotspur. He is right footed, stands at around 1.84 metres tall and is best known for his attacking output from full back, his composure on the ball, his ability to play both right back and left back, and the kind of personality that has made him a fan favourite at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium since his breakthrough campaign in 2024/25. He is also a senior England international and the first openly Muslim player ever to play for the Three Lions men's senior team.
He was born on 9 August 2000 in Kensington, west London, into a multicultural family that has shaped both his identity and his journey. He came through Peckham Town and Junior Elite FC before joining the Fulham academy in 2012. He was released by Fulham in 2018 and signed for Middlesbrough, where his senior career properly took off. Tottenham bought him in the summer of 2022 after his sensational Nottingham Forest loan helped fire Forest into the Premier League.
Djed Spence Parents and Family Background
Djed Spence comes from one of the most culturally diverse families in modern English football. His father is Simon Spence, who is of Jamaican heritage, and his mother is Aisha Spence, who is Kenyan. The family settled in west London where Djed was born and raised, and his multicultural upbringing meant he could have chosen to represent either Jamaica, Kenya or England at international level. He has always chosen England, and his senior debut in September 2025 was a moment of major pride for the entire family.
The household was rooted in faith, family values and a deep respect for both sides of his African and Caribbean heritage. The family environment, including his bond with his famous actress sister Karla-Simone Spence and his other sister Bria, has been widely credited as a key pillar of his personal and professional development. Icon Polls notes that the kind of community support system that surrounded his upbringing is one of the underrated reasons he has been able to recover from the toughest setbacks of his career and come back stronger than ever.
Djed Spence Sister Karla-Simone Spence
Djed Spence's older sister is Karla-Simone Spence, a British actress who has built a strong career in television and film. She gained widespread recognition for her performance in the film Blue Story and her starring role in the ITVX period drama The Confessions of Frannie Langton. She is a familiar face to fans of British screen drama and has been a major source of pride and inspiration for Djed throughout his football career.
Djed also has another sister called Bria, who has become a fan favourite among the Tottenham supporter community in her own right. Bria attends various Tottenham matches with friends and family and documents the experience on social media with a lighthearted and fun approach. She once famously pranked her brother by hijacking one of his post match interviews and asking him unusual personal questions, a moment that went viral online. The Spence siblings clearly share a tight knit family bond and have been one of the most beloved family stories among the Spurs fan base since Djed's breakthrough.
Djed Spence Religion and Faith
Djed Spence practises Islam, and his faith is one of the most important parts of his identity. When he was called up to the senior England squad in August 2025 for the World Cup qualifiers against Andorra and Serbia, he was widely recognised as the first openly Muslim player ever to represent England's senior men's team. He himself described the moment as a blessing and noted that he had been amazed by the historical significance of the call up.
He has spoken openly and powerfully about his faith in interviews. He has said that God is the greatest, that he prays a lot, that he gives gratitude to God in the good moments and that he has always believed God has been by his side through the darkest moments of his career. His faith helped him overcome what he himself described as the biggest hurdle of his career, when Antonio Conte brought him crashing back to earth at Tottenham just after he had helped Nottingham Forest win the Championship play off final in 2022. His Islamic faith is a regular feature on his social media and has become a source of inspiration for many young Muslim football fans across Britain.
Djed Spence Career Journey
Djed started his football journey at Peckham Town between 2006 and 2011, then Junior Elite FC, before joining the Fulham academy in 2012. He spent six years at Fulham before being released in 2018, a setback that could have ended his hopes in football altogether. He signed for Middlesbrough on 1 July 2018 and worked his way through the youth ranks before making his senior debut in the EFL Cup against Notts County at the Riverside Stadium.
His big breakthrough came on loan at Nottingham Forest during the 2021/22 Championship season. He made 46 appearances and was a key figure in Forest's promotion to the Premier League under Steve Cooper. Tottenham signed him on 19 July 2022 from Middlesbrough on a five year contract for around 12.5 million pounds, with the deal potentially rising by 8.8 million euros with add ons. He failed to settle under Antonio Conte and was sent out on three different loan spells, to Rennes, then Leeds United, then Genoa, before fighting his way back into the Tottenham first team picture under Ange Postecoglou.
His resurgence at Tottenham started with a Premier League starting run from December 2024 to February 2025 alongside Micky van de Ven, Cristian Romero and Destiny Udogie. He played a role in the 2024/25 UEFA Europa League winning campaign and signed a new long term contract extension on 18 August 2025 that runs until 30 June 2029 with an option for a further year. On 2 September 2025 he received his historic first England senior call up from Thomas Tuchel.
Djed Spence Net Worth and Salary in 2026
Icon Polls estimates that Djed Spence's net worth in 2026 sits between 5 million and 8 million US dollars. That figure reflects his career earnings since his Middlesbrough breakthrough years, his Nottingham Forest loan wages, his initial Tottenham contract signed in 2022, the financial benefit of his three loan moves at Rennes, Leeds and Genoa, his recent long term contract extension signed in August 2025, his image rights deals, his England senior international match fees, his agent led commercial work with CAA Base and the early stage property and investment portfolio he has been able to build.
On the salary side, his Tottenham weekly wage is reported in the region of 40,000 pounds per week, which works out at around 2.08 million pounds per year before bonuses and image rights. That figure is expected to rise sharply once his next contract negotiations take place given his historic England call up, his rising profile and his role as a senior first team option under both Thomas Frank and now Roberto De Zerbi. His commercial profile is particularly strong given his importance as the first openly Muslim England senior player.
Djed Spence Wife and Personal Life
Djed Spence has kept his personal life remarkably private throughout his career. He is unmarried and there is no publicly confirmed partner. He has been linked in some unconfirmed social media images with one or two named individuals over the years, but he has not formally addressed any of those rumours publicly. He is widely known among his Instagram following of over 425,000 fans as one of the most private senior English football professionals when it comes to his romantic life.
His preference for privacy is consistent with the focused, professional and faith centred personality his managers and team mates have described over the years. He has consistently preferred to keep his focus on football, family, faith and his historic England international commitments rather than on the celebrity side of the game. His personal life is something he will share publicly only if and when he chooses to.
Djed Spence Injury Update
Djed Spence's injury history across his career has been fairly clean compared to many of his Tottenham team mates, which is one of the underrated reasons he has been able to fight his way back into the first team picture across multiple managerial regimes. The most disruptive injury of his career was the knee problem he picked up on loan at Rennes in early 2023, which forced him to return to England for treatment and cut short his French adventure.
During the 2025/26 season he has dealt only with the kind of short term knocks and minor issues that come with the demands of senior Premier League football. Tottenham have managed his minutes carefully given his importance as one of the few naturally available defenders during a campaign in which captain Cristian Romero, Micky van de Ven, Ben Davies and Destiny Udogie have all dealt with various injuries. Icon Polls considers his ability to stay available across the entire 2025/26 season one of the most underrated reasons Tottenham survived a difficult relegation battle.
Frequently Asked Questions About Djed Spence
1. How old is Djed Spence in 2026?
He is 25 years old in 2026. He was born on 9 August 2000 and will turn 26 in August 2026.
2. Where was Djed Spence born?
He was born in Kensington, in west London, on 9 August 2000.
3. What is Djed Spence's full name?
His full name is Diop Tehuti Djed-Hotep Spence. He plays under just Djed Spence.
4. What is Djed Spence's nationality?
He is English. He could also have represented Jamaica through his father or Kenya through his mother, but he chose England and made his senior Three Lions debut after his September 2025 call up.
5. What is Djed Spence's heritage?
His father Simon Spence is of Jamaican heritage and his mother Aisha Spence is Kenyan. His multicultural background reflects modern London.
6. Who are Djed Spence's parents?
His father is Simon Spence, who is of Jamaican heritage, and his mother is Aisha Spence, who is Kenyan. The family settled in west London where Djed was born and raised.
7. Who is Djed Spence's sister?
His older sister is Karla-Simone Spence, a British actress who gained recognition for her performance in the film Blue Story and her starring role in the ITVX period drama The Confessions of Frannie Langton. He also has another sister called Bria who is popular among Tottenham fans for her viral match day social media content.
8. What position does Djed Spence play?
He plays as a full back. He can operate at both right back and left back, although he is naturally right footed.
9. Which club does Djed Spence play for?
He plays for Tottenham Hotspur in the English Premier League.
10. What is Djed Spence's shirt number at Tottenham?
He wears the number 24 shirt at Tottenham.
11. How tall is Djed Spence?
He stands at about 6 feet tall, which is roughly 1.84 metres.
12. Is Djed Spence left footed or right footed?
He is right footed.
13. What is Djed Spence's net worth in 2026?
Icon Polls estimates his net worth is between 5 million and 8 million US dollars in 2026.
14. How much does Djed Spence earn at Tottenham?
His weekly wage at Tottenham is reported in the region of 40,000 pounds, which works out at around 2.08 million pounds per year before bonuses and image rights.
15. What religion does Djed Spence practise?
He is Muslim. He has been openly recognised as the first openly Muslim player to represent England's senior men's team when he received his international call up in August 2025.
16. Is Djed Spence married?
No. He is unmarried and has kept his personal life very private throughout his career.
17. Who is Djed Spence's wife or girlfriend?
There is no publicly confirmed partner at the time of writing. He has been one of the most private senior English football professionals when it comes to his romantic life.
18. How much did Tottenham pay for Djed Spence?
Tottenham signed him from Middlesbrough on 19 July 2022 on a five year contract for around 12.5 million pounds, with the deal potentially rising by 8.8 million euros with add ons.
19. When does Djed Spence's Tottenham contract expire?
His Tottenham contract runs until 30 June 2029 with an option for a further year. He signed his current long term extension on 18 August 2025.
20. Did Djed Spence play for Nottingham Forest?
Yes. He spent the 2021/22 season on loan at Nottingham Forest from Middlesbrough and was a key figure as Forest won the Championship play off final and gained promotion to the Premier League.
21. Did Djed Spence play for Leeds United?
Yes. He spent the 2023/24 season on loan at Leeds United from Tottenham.
22. Is Djed Spence the first Muslim England player?
Yes. He was widely recognised as the first openly Muslim player to represent England's senior men's team when he received his historic call up on 2 September 2025.
23. Is Djed Spence injured?
He has been one of the most consistently available Tottenham defenders across the 2025/26 season. He has dealt only with minor short term knocks consistent with the demands of senior Premier League football.
24. Is Djed Spence going to the 2026 World Cup?
He is in contention to be part of the England squad for the 2026 FIFA World Cup, which will be co hosted by the United States, Canada and Mexico, following his September 2025 senior debut. His selection will depend on his closing form for Tottenham and the depth of full back options Thomas Tuchel chooses.
Djed Spence's story is one of faith, family and the kind of resilience that defines the best comeback careers in football. From a kid in Kensington with Jamaican and Kenyan parents, to a Fulham academy reject, to a Middlesbrough youth team prospect, to a Nottingham Forest promotion hero, to a 12.5 million pound Tottenham signing, to three different loan spells in France, England and Italy, to a Spurs first team regular under Ange Postecoglou and Thomas Frank, to the first openly Muslim player ever to represent England's senior men's team, every chapter has been earned through hard work and the kind of mental toughness that very few players possess.
With his Tottenham contract running until June 2029 and his place in the senior England conversation now firmly established, Icon Polls will continue to follow the next chapters of one of the most fascinating personal stories in modern English football. The 2026 FIFA World Cup will be another major chapter in his journey, and his ability to keep performing for Tottenham under Roberto De Zerbi will define how far he can go in the senior international setup over the coming years.
