Djed Spence Steps onto Training Pitch for Inter

Almost a month after landing in Milan from Tottenham Hotspur, Djed Spence has finally stepped onto the training pitch in Nerazzurri colours. The wait has felt long. His actual debut could take even longer.

Club photographers captured the England international working with the group on Thursday, with Italian outlets confirming it was his first full session “out on the grass” since joining Inter in a €35m summer move.

For Spence, 26, it marks an important milestone. Until now, all the work had been indoors and behind the scenes. The reasons trace back to his summer: an extended break after England’s run to the World Cup semi-finals, followed by what La Gazzetta dello Sport describe as a minor physical problem on his return. That issue cost him the final stretch of pre-season and, with it, any realistic chance of an early-season bow.

It also explains the contrast with John Stones. The defender, another member of England’s World Cup squad and a fellow summer arrival at San Siro, has already featured three times for Inter. Spence, by comparison, has had to watch, wait and rebuild.

There was a glimpse of him on matchday, at least. Spence was present before the Serie A clash with AC Monza at San Siro on August 22, photographed in Inter colours at the Stadio Giuseppe Meazza, but his role stopped at the touchline.

Now comes the next decision. Inter host Udinese on Monday night, and on paper the timing looks tempting. Three days of training remain, the crowd will be expectant, and a new signing always brings a buzz.

Yet SportMediaset report that Inter’s hierarchy are taking the long view. No rush, no gamble. The plan, they suggest, is to circle a different date: the first match after the international break, at home to Parma on October 10. That is the fixture pencilled in as the ideal stage for Spence’s competitive debut.

For now, the right-back has what he has craved since arriving in Milan: boots on grass, ball at his feet, and a clear target on the calendar. The question is whether patience now will pay off when that Parma game finally comes around.