Djed Spence has seen his career change for the better after taking the brave decision to swap Fulham for Middlesbrough back in the summer of 2018. 

The young full back has become one of the first names on the team sheet under the experienced gaze of Neil Warnock and as a result his stock has continued to rise since bidding farewell to his London roots.

Indeed the 21-year-old featured an impressive 40 times for Boro last season and showcased his ability to get forwards to great effect on many occasion as he underlined his reputation as one of the best young and up and coming English full backs in the Football League.

It is perhaps no surprise then that Spence has now attracted interest from on high, with Football League World exclusively reporting that both Southampton and Leicester City are keeping tabs on the defender as they weigh up whether to make a move for the player or not before the deadline just over a week from now.

Luckily for Boro, Spence is under lock and key at the Riverside Stadium for the time being as he has two years left to run on his current contract, but they will be all too aware that there will be a time when they have to consider cashing in on the player in future.

At this point in time, many at Boro may well feel that a move to either of these Premier League clubs would make little sense from both their point of view or indeed Spence's, with there being no guarantee that the defender would start regularly at either the St Mary's or King Power Stadium.

Southampton are well stocked at right back due to the presence of the likes of Kyle Walker-Peters, Valentino Livramento and Yan Valery, whilst Leicester similarly have Ricardo Pereira, Timothy Castagne and James Justin at their disposal.

If Spence wants to continue to play regularly and develop his all round game at a good level, he should put a move to the Premier League on ice, with Middlesbrough still very much being the place to be for young players that are looking to work on their craft.

There is no doubt that a move to the top flight further down the line could come the youngster's way but for now Boro need to keep their player's feet firmly on the ground and knock back any approaches that come to fruition.