Why does Djed Spence wear a jaw brace when playing for England?
England and Tottenham Hotspur FC defender Djed Spence is in the midst of a facial injury recovery, you may have noticed.
Having played a key role in the Three Lions' ascension to the quarter-finals of this summer's FIFA World Cup, the 25-year-old is something of a household name these days.
As the ITV and BBC cameras continue to document his defensive exploits - next up for Spence and the rest of Thomas Tuchel's squad is a weekend game against the berserker nation Norway, who have a certain Mr Haaland in their forward line - Spence's noticeable jaw brace has been raising a few questions off-field.
It originates from the Premier League season just gone, when an opposing striker playing for Chelsea went in heavy on Spence at Stamford Bridge.
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That player was none other than Liam Delap, whose debut season as the Blues' number 9 was nothing short of abysmal.
During the penultimate game of the 2025/26 season, which Spurs desperately wanted to win in order to avoid relegation from the top tier, Delap's 'crazy challenge' broke Spence's jaw.
This was on May 19 and the forecast healing time was three months.
Spence himself said at the time, per BBC: "It is a little bit uncomfortable - but it is what it is. I have a broken jaw so I have to wear [the brace] throughout the tournament.
"It is something I will have to get used to. It will be three months until it is fully healed, so it is a long time. It was painful, but luckily I play football with my feet and not my jaw so it is all good.
"I have been wearing it in training, getting used to wearing it in the heat, and trying to break it in properly.
"It was a crazy challenge, but it is in the past now," he reflected.
Prior to the World Cup kicking off last month, Spence suggested that Tuchel's continual choice to put him in the starting 11 shows that the German manager believes in him.
"He believes in my quality and I'm thankful for him," he said.
"I just want to keep on putting in the performances to make everyone happy. It is a huge honour to play for your country, it is a big thing. I'm over the moon and happy to be here.
"It has been a difficult season [with Spurs], but there is always light at the end of the tunnel. We managed to get out of a difficult situation, so we have to move forward. Hopefully this World Cup will be a good one."
Dan Seddon