Leeds United loan flop's turnaround complete after 'tremendous' Man Utd performance praised by Gary Neville

Djed Spence’s unlikely Tottenham Hotspur resurgence continued with a Man of the Match performance during his side’s 1-0 win over Manchester United on Sunday.

Full-back Spence has been an unlikely Tottenham hero this season, emerging as one of the Premier League outfit’s most consistent performers just 12 months after his Elland Road loan was cut short. The 24-year-old’s season-long move was ripped up in January last year, a decision the YEP understood was taken by Leeds, rather than his parent club.

A mid-season switch to Genoa fared no better but since returning to north London in the summer, there has been a remarkable change of fortune. Spence has 18 appearances to his name this season and impressed enough to earn a new contract in October, going from strength to strength under Ange Postecoglou.

Tottenham’s injury crisis opened the door for Spence, who has been excellent on both sides of a back-four that has often included his former Leeds teammate Archie Gray. And the full-back put in arguably his best performance of the season on Sunday, keeping the likes of Rasmus Hojlund and Bruno Fernandes at bay to earn the Player of the Match award.

“It isn’t an easy one to choose but I think Djed Spence has been as good as any for Spurs at left-back,” former Manchester United defender Gary Neville said after naming the former Leeds loanee as his player of the match. “Spence on that side has stuck to his task well.”

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Spence’s potential has never been in doubt and Leeds saw that, as evidenced by their willingness to pay a £1million loan fee - a large amount by Championship standards. But the former Nottingham Forest man was unable to hit those heights, helped in no part by an early injury and the form of Gray at right-back.

But since returning to Tottenham, the former Whites loanee has taken his chance and endeared himself among supporters as a rare bright spark in an otherwise disappointing campaign. And he was subject to overwhelmingly positive social media reaction following Sunday’s win.

“A tremendous talent,” former Spurs midfielder Jamie Redknapp told Sky Sports of Spence. “Speed, agility, he can defend, very cool on the ball, he’s got a good football brain. He is doing so well, but it just shows you need a bit of confidence and belief.

“Sometimes we talk about injuries, if there aren’t these injuries to [Destiny] Udogie or whoever, we probably don’t see him in the Tottenham side. But he forced his way in, taken his chance really well and I thought today he was excellent.”

Gray was dropped to the bench for Saturday’s win, having spent much of his debut Premier League campaign at centre-back - a second unnatural position he been learning on the job. Tottenham signed experienced centre-back Kevin Danso on loan in January, with the 26-year-old coming in to allow Leeds’ former academy prospect a much-needed rest - although he did come off the bench to enjoy the win against his boyhood club’s fierce rivals.