England hail Djed Spence after vital World Cup quarter-final cameos
Tottenham defender Djed Spence has emerged as an unlikely hero for England, producing match-winning substitute appearances to help secure a World Cup semi-final spot against Argentina.
Jude Bellingham and Harry Kane have understandably commanded the headlines during the journey to the last four of the tournament.
The Real Madrid midfielder scored twice on Saturday night to guide the Three Lions to a battling 2-1 victory over Norway.
It was the second consecutive game that the midfield talisman registered a brace, having also struck twice against Mexico in the last 16.
Turning the tide from the bench
However, it is the crucial interventions of a dynamic full-back arriving from the sidelines that have suddenly captured the imagination of supporters.
The Tottenham man replaced Nico O’Reilly in the 86th minute of the quarter-final tie to see out the remainder of normal time and the entirety of extra time.
He immediately closed down the opposition goalkeeper in an attempt to force a late winner before embarking on a superb surging run into the penalty area.
The marauding defender appeared to have won a decisive penalty following that direct run, only for the video assistant referee to controversially overturn the decision.
Redemption following early criticism
Public opinion regarding the wing-back is clearly shifting after he faced intense criticism for an underwhelming group stage display against DR Congo.
While he has not started either of the subsequent knockout fixtures, his high-energy introductions have been instrumental in closing out titanic results.
Evaluating the performance, Standard Sport journalist Dom Smith highlighted the sheer disruption caused by the late tactical change.
Even though the penalty call was overturned, his wonderful run saw him win a spot-kick in extra time, or at least think he had.
And he forced a fine save in extra time… a problem Norway couldn’t deal with.
Pushing for a semi-final start
Social media backing for the explosive defender continues to grow rapidly as the national team prepares for their biggest fixture of the campaign.
The rejuvenated right-sided specialist will now be pushing hard for a starting berth when they face Argentina in Wednesday’s highly anticipated semi-final.