Inter Milan signed Djed Spence from Tottenham Hotspur in the summer and the wing-back has thrived in Italy already. He has now looked back kindly on his loan spell at Nottingham Forest.

The Englishman had an impressive World Cup campaign and this handed him the chance to move to the Serie A.

So far, he has made four appearances for Inter and is already winning over many at the club. He made a mark against Como at the weekend and also impressed in the Champions League in mid-week.

As his influence continues to grow, the player has spoken about the early days of his career in England.

Djed grateful for Steve Cooper

The England international spoke to Sky Italia before Inter’s dominant 2-0 win over Como. He was asked about several topics regarding his career so far, including his upbringing and early playing days.

Spence opened up about his time at Nottingham Forest, noting that the spell under Steve Cooper was crucial for his career.

He said – via Gazzetta dello Sport: “I’ve always wanted to be a footballer, I knew it from the first time I stepped foot on a pitch. A manager who helped me a lot in my career was Steve Cooper.”

The ex-Spurs man also described it as the most vital part of his career.

“With him at Nottingham Forest we achieved promotion to the Premier League, the first truly important victory of my career.”

Spence also spoke about the World Cup, making it clear that he has bittersweet memories.

“It wasn’t the result we wanted; we were aiming for victory. However, England had only done better in 1966 when they won the Cup: we had the opportunity to make history, it was a wonderful feeling.”

Formative years coming in handy

Spence played a little less than 50 times for Nottingham Forest during the 2021/22 campaign. But that proved huge in his career, as it was the first time he played regularly and earned promotion to the top-flight.

This helped him earn a move to Tottenham, which was a big turning point of his career.

So even though the spell at City Ground wasn’t long, the impact is still being felt and the player’s comments show that.

DJED SPENCE Career achievements · Honours and milestones

Achievement	Team	Year / Season
TEAM HONOURS
UEFA Europa League winner	Tottenham Hotspur	2024/25
Championship play-off winner	Nottingham Forest · Loan	2021/22
INDIVIDUAL AWARDS
PFA Championship Team of the Year	Nottingham Forest	2021/22
EFL Championship Team of the Season	Nottingham Forest	2021/22
Championship Player of the Month	Nottingham Forest	March 2022
Championship Goal of the Month	Nottingham Forest	March 2022
EFL Young Player of the Month	Middlesbrough	December 2019
EFL Young Player of the Month	Nottingham Forest	March 2022
INTERNATIONAL MILESTONES
Senior England debut	England · 5–0 win against Serbia	9 September 2025
First World Cup appearance	England · Against Croatia	2026
World Cup semi-finalist	England	2026

BREAKTHROUGH SEASON
Spence made 46 appearances and scored three goals during his 2021/22 loan at Nottingham Forest, helping the club secure promotion to the Premier League and earning both PFA and EFL team-of-the-season recognition.

Selected competitive honours, individual awards and international milestones. Championship promotion was achieved through the play-offs, rather than by winning the league title. Friendly trophies are excluded.
Updated: 10 November 2026.

SPORT WITNESS