Wayne Rooney has claimed that England manager Thomas Tuchel's public reprimand of Djed Spence during an open training session was a calculated move. The incident occurred when Tuchel was filmed yelling at the Tottenham defender, saying, 'Djed, Djed, Djed wake up! Wake up!' during a 15-minute media-access period.
Rooney's Analysis of Tuchel's Tactics
Speaking on the BBC ahead of England's World Cup match against Ghana, Rooney said: 'I think that was intended. I think for Thomas Tuchel, you have the open session, you have the 15 minutes which the press are allowed in for, and very rarely do you see the manager coaching the team in that. You see them doing the box playing stuff, but I think that was intended, and that was a message sent to the media and to the fans, but also to his players.'
Spence's Response to the Incident
After the clip went viral on social media, Spence was asked about Tuchel's remarks. He responded unequivocally while praising the 52-year-old manager. Spence told talkSPORT: 'It's normal. He's a great manager. He wants the best from his players. He demands high standards and for this tournament, we need to be ready, we need to be on it. Every session needs to be of the highest quality. That's what he demands. It's good. I wouldn't be the only one he says it to. It's part of the game.'
Spence added: 'I think he's a great manager, he's a great guy. Very detailed in what he wants to do. I've got great respect for him. It's like what he always says, we're building a family, we've built a brotherhood within the team, everyone has one dream, one brain. I think everyone is on the same path. We can do special things. I think he's built that environment with this squad.'
Spence's Role in England's World Cup Campaign
Spence started for England against Ghana after appearing as a late substitute in the opening group fixture against Croatia. He replaced Nico O'Reilly in the lineup. Before kick-off, the Tottenham star made headlines for not shaking hands with Ghana's Thomas Partey. England struggled in the first half against the Black Stars, failing to register a single shot on target before the interval.
