“An incident occurred at Leeds United behind the scenes before Djed Spence made a sudden departure from the club this month. Former Tottenham and Aston Villa defender Alan Hutton, speaking exclusively to Football Insider, raised doubts about whether the former loanee was dedicated or working hard enough to impress Whites manager Daniel Farke.
Leeds ended Spence’s loan early and he has now joined Serie A side Genoa until the end of the season, reportedly as part of a deal for centre-back Radu Dragusin. The full-back only made seven appearances after recovering from a ligament injury, but Farke has since implied that there may have been concerns about his “professionalism” and “discipline”.
Hutton insisted that Spence has the potential to become a top-quality player but urged him to focus on his football.
“It’s a peculiar situation,” he told Football Insider. “I was really excited to see what he was capable of, especially after Tottenham signed him for big money. I thought he might have had a chance under Ange Postecoglou.
“But after reading Daniel Farke’s comments, it makes you wonder if something went on behind the scenes. Is he not putting in enough effort? Is he not focused?
“When I watch him play, I see a player who wants to learn. Hopefully, with his new loan move, he can put his head down and show everyone what he’s capable of.
“He has all the qualities to be a modern-day full-back, so it’s unfortunate to see this happen.”
