Onus on Tottenham star ‘to impress’ to break into Thomas Frank’s XI

Originally posted on To The Lane And Back
By Aaryan Choksi | Last updated Sep 20, 2025 8:43 AM ET

Tottenham Hotspur star Destiny Udogie should step up and showcase why he belongs in the first XI

Thomas Frank has already made some big calls during his first few months in charge of Tottenham. The Danish tactician is yet to nail down his preferred starting eleven for this season, despite winning four of his opening five games of the new campaign. So, there is still hope for squad players to impress the ex-Brentford boss and nail down a place in the team as the season progresses.

One of the players that has been quite unlucky to miss out on first-team action has been Destiny Udogie. The Italy international was forced to be on the side-lines for Spurs’ game against Manchester City this season, giving Djed Spence an opportunity to nail a spot in the team and make the left-back position his own.

To make matters worse, Spence has proved his worth at N17 under Frank and has quickly become a mainstay in the team. The England international’s sudden upturn in form has helped him force his way into the starting eleven at Udogie’s expense. Not only that, but Spence has also managed to back up his talent by performing consistently week in week out.

Destiny Udogie needs to fight his way back at Tottenham under Thomas Frank

Tottenham full-back Destiny Udogie is still looking to make an impression under Thomas Frank this season. The Italy international proved time and again that he was a reliable defender under Ange Postecoglou. But the recent injury issues have forced the talented full-back to sit on the sidelines and watch Djed Spence get all the minutes in crucial games.

Now, John Wenham believes that Udogie might need to fight his way back at N17 for regular minutes. Speaking to Tottenham News, Wenham said,

“It’s interesting because I do see the comments and the commentary that’s being made that Udogie is an overlapping fallback may work better with Simons. But Spence’s form at the moment is so good that he can’t be dropped.”

The Lilywhite Rose owner added,

“I don’t know if impressing against Doncaster Rovers will be enough to get him in the Premier League team, but when those opportunities do arrive, Udogie will have to really impress because Spence is doing so well.”

John Wenham admits that Destiny Udogie might be a better fit at left-back under Thomas Frank this season. However, the Lilywhite Rose owner understands Frank’s position to persist with Djed Spence instead, highlighting the excellent form the England international is in. Wenham believes that Udogie might need to perform well whenever he gets a chance if he wants to force his way into the starting eleven.

The Lilywhites are facing three teams in the next seven days, starting with Brighton in the Premier League this weekend. So, it is fair to say that Udogie is going to have a fair chance of proving his worth and forcing Thomas Frank to have second thoughts on his decision to start Djed Spence instead.

This article first appeared on To The Lane And Back and was syndicated with permission.

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