Spell with Forest was the ‘stuff of dreams’ for Spence
DJED Spence has described his season-long stay at Nottingham Forest as “the stuff of dreams”.
The defender was integral to the Reds’ promotion success as he spent the campaign on loan from Middlesbrough.
His sparkling performances earned him a string of personal accolades and caught the eye of a number of teams as he was a key figure as Steve Cooper’s side triumphed in the Championship playoffs.
Tottenham Hotspur have won the battle for his signature, with Spence signing a five-year deal. And in his first interview with the club, he spoke about the lure of playing in the Champions League while also reflecting on his time at the City Ground.
“Last year, we won promotion with Nottingham Forest. It was just a great season for me. It was the stuff of dreams, really,” he told the official website.
“Being in the Premier League and a big club like Tottenham Hotspur is a dream come true. I’m just thankful that I’ve got here and I’m going to get the opportunity to play for the club.
“Everyone wants to play in the Premier League. As a kid, you watch it.
“It was a target of mine. It’s a big club, with Champions League football and you’ve got some of the best players here. It’s a privilege to be here.
“It’s been a long journey in my career so far. It’s been hard at times but it’s been good as well, and I’ve been working hard to get to where I am now. I think it will do me good and help me develop as a player a lot (to be in this environment) and I can obviously learn from other people and the experience that they have.”
Meanwhile, James Garner has been tipped to make the step up for Manchester United, following his loan spell with Forest.
The midfielder is back with his parent club after an impressive second stint at the City Ground in which he helped the Reds secure promotion. However, he is yet to feature for United pre-season, and plenty of Forest fans would love him to return Trentside.
Garner has been linked with a move away, amid uncertainty over his future at Old Trafford. However, new boss Erik ten Hag is believed to want to run the rule over the 21-yearold before any decision is made.
United are chasing Frenkie de Jong, from Barcelona. But if they don’t get the Dutchman, Garner has been backed to play a part.
Former midfielder Darren Ambrose told TALKSPORT: “I’m 50-50 whether he (Frenkie de Jong) will end up a Manchester United player or not. So, James Garner... I think he could make the step up, I certainly do.
“You look at when a manager comes into a football club, one of the first things they want to do is prove they can improve players. He (Ten Hag) can certainly do that - he’s done that at Ajax.
“I think he will be looking at a player like James Garner and thinking, ‘I can prove that I can build a player into, not just a normal squad, but into a Manchester United squad that’s trying to build and get back up there.’
“It’s happened before with young players at Manchester United. That’s potentially the way he wants to build.
“I think James Garner is a fantastic player. I’m not comparing him with Frenkie de Jong, but there’s potential that he can grow into that position and play a similar role.”