Djed Spence, a Tottenham full-back and the first Muslim footballer in the history of the England national team, did something no one else did on the pitch at Gillette Stadium in Boston. When the greeting protocol came before England-Ghana, the 26 England players shook hands with Thomas Partey. Everyone except him.
He gave no technical or tactical explanations. He said his faith guided him, that he had to stay true to his convictions, and he cited his scriptures without going into further detail. Partey, now at Villarreal, faces seven charges of rape and one of sexual assault in the United Kingdom, with a trial set for 2027 in London. He pleaded not guilty.
The reaction was immediate: Patrice Evra called it “rat behavior”, while Rio Ferdinand asked for the presumption of innocence to be respected. The English Football Association had left the gesture up to each player’s discretion. Spence was the only one who decided not to cross that line 🤔⚽