Arsenal transfer target Djed Spence in line for England U21 call-up despite Jamaica being desperate for his allegiance
DJED SPENCE is in line for an England Under-21 call-up following his sensational displays on loan at Nottingham Forest.
The right-back, who is being targeted by Premier League sides, impressed in Forest’s eye-catching FA Cup victories over Arsenal and Leicester.
SunSport understands the Young Lions have watched Spence, 21, regularly of late.
He has a good chance of a call-up next month for the Under-21 Euro qualifiers against Andorra at Bournemouth’s Vitality Stadium on March 25 and away to Albania four days later.
Spence, who has been farmed out by Middlesbrough, is also eligible for Jamaica who are keen for him to represent them internationally, too.
The former Fulham academy product became a target for Arsenal after his stunning performance in Forest’s 1-0 win over the Gunners in FA Cup third round last month.
That display had Arsenal hero Ian Wright waxing lyrical, with the pundit commenting that he had not seen “a combative, technical, swashbuckling performance like that for a very long time”.
Spence, who is also wanted by Tottenham, followed it up with a goal in the fourth-round 4-2 win over Leicester at the City Ground.
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The marauding full-back has come a long way from his youth days when he came close to being released at Craven Cottage on a few occasions.
Fulham U23s’ joint head coach Colin Omogbehin, who took a 12-year-old Spence to Craven Cottage, has hailed his dedication.
The master-developer told SunSport: “I wouldn’t say he was anywhere near the best but he had an unbelievable desire to be part of the best and he worked hard.
“A lot of those players in that group like Emile (Smith Rowe)… and one or two others who haven’t made it but were really good players, they ended up getting recruited and moving onto clubs before Djed.
“He was the last one out of that group of players to move to a professional club which was Fulham, with myself.
“He was always one of the ones they weren’t sure to keep on. But he’d always find a way to do well enough to stay inside the system.
“He had great athleticism and technically we did get him better in the end and now he’s ready. But he wasn’t a natural like Emile. He’s really really worked hard at his game.”
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