# Jordan Spence
**Jordan Spence** (Jordan James Spence, born 1990) is an English retired professional footballer who played as a right-back, most notably for West Ham United, Milton Keynes Dons, and Ipswich Town before finishing his career in the Dutch Eredivisie with [ADO Den Haag](https://www.edgepedia.org/ado-den-haag).[1](https://www.transfermarkt.com/jordan-spence/profil/spieler/61588) • [2](https://www.11v11.com/players/jordan-spence-228851/) He retired on 1 July 2020 at age 30.[1](https://www.transfermarkt.com/jordan-spence/profil/spieler/61588)
| Key fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Born | 1990, Woodford, London, England[2](https://www.11v11.com/players/jordan-spence-228851/) |
| Position | Right-back (secondary position: center-back)[1](https://www.transfermarkt.com/jordan-spence/profil/spieler/61588) |
| Senior clubs | West Ham United (2007–2014), MK Dons (2014–2016), Ipswich Town (2017–2020), ADO Den Haag (2020)[2](https://www.11v11.com/players/jordan-spence-228851/) |
| Premier League debut | Final day of the 2009/10 season, a 1–1 draw with Manchester City[3](https://std-pre-prod.whufc.com/en/news/academy-of-internationals-or-jordan-spence) |
| England youth career | Captain at U16, U17, U18, and U19 level, including the 2007 FIFA U17 World Cup; one Under-21 appearance[3](https://std-pre-prod.whufc.com/en/news/academy-of-internationals-or-jordan-spence) • [2](https://www.11v11.com/players/jordan-spence-228851/) |
| Retirement | 1 July 2020, after a final season with ADO Den Haag[1](https://www.transfermarkt.com/jordan-spence/profil/spieler/61588) |
| After football | Runs a production company in Los Angeles with his wife, the actress and singer Naomi Scott[3](https://std-pre-prod.whufc.com/en/news/academy-of-internationals-or-jordan-spence) |
## West Ham United
Spence joined West Ham United's academy on 20 July 2007 and became one of England's most-capped youth internationals while progressing at the club.[2](https://www.11v11.com/players/jordan-spence-228851/) • [3](https://std-pre-prod.whufc.com/en/news/academy-of-internationals-or-jordan-spence) He became the first footballer of the 2010s whose name went onto the Chadwell Heath Wall of Graduates, an honor set aside for academy players who have started a full league match for the club.[3](https://std-pre-prod.whufc.com/en/news/academy-of-internationals-or-jordan-spence)
**Loan spells.** At 18 he was loaned to Leyton Orient in November 2008, where he became an ever-present figure and helped the club avoid relegation with ten wins in the final 19 games of the League One season.[3](https://std-pre-prod.whufc.com/en/news/academy-of-internationals-or-jordan-spence) Further loans followed at Scunthorpe United in the Championship (August 2009 to January 2010) and Bristol City (March to May 2011), where he started every game in the run-in and registered four assists from right-back in eleven appearances.[2](https://www.11v11.com/players/jordan-spence-228851/) • [3](https://std-pre-prod.whufc.com/en/news/academy-of-internationals-or-jordan-spence) Recalled for the final two matches of West Ham's Premier League season, he was handed his full debut against Wigan Athletic, and his performances earned a new long-term contract, extended to June 2014 in June 2011.[3](https://std-pre-prod.whufc.com/en/news/academy-of-internationals-or-jordan-spence) • [2](https://www.11v11.com/players/jordan-spence-228851/)
His West Ham first-team opportunities stayed limited: club records show one substitute appearance in 2009/10, two appearances in 2010/11, and four substitute appearances plus cup matches in 2012/13.[2](https://www.11v11.com/players/jordan-spence-228851/) A further loan at Sheffield Wednesday in August 2013 and two spells at Milton Keynes Dons in the 2013/14 season preceded his departure.[2](https://www.11v11.com/players/jordan-spence-228851/)
## MK Dons, Ipswich Town, and ADO Den Haag
Spence joined Milton Keynes Dons permanently in August 2014 on a one-year contract and became a regular, making 38 appearances in League One during their promotion-winning 2014/15 season, then 31 Championship appearances in 2015/16.[3](https://std-pre-prod.whufc.com/en/news/academy-of-internationals-or-jordan-spence) • [2](https://www.11v11.com/players/jordan-spence-228851/) He moved to Ipswich Town in January 2017, initially on a contract to June 2018 that was extended to June 2019, and made 37 Championship appearances with four goals in 2017/18.[2](https://www.11v11.com/players/jordan-spence-228851/)
After leaving Ipswich in January 2020, he trained with ADO Den Haag during their January camp in southern Spain and signed for the rest of the 2019/20 season, making four [Eredivisie](https://www.edgepedia.org/eredivisie) appearances.[4](https://adodenhaag.nl/nl/nieuws/laatste-nieuws/1e-elftal/8417-jordan-spence-tekent-voor-rest-van-seizoen-bij-ado-den-haag) • [5](https://www.fotmob.com/players/148904/jordan-spence) He retired that July.[1](https://www.transfermarkt.com/jordan-spence/profil/spieler/61588)
## International career
Spence captained England at Under-16, Under-17, Under-18, and Under-19 level, including at the 2007 FIFA U17 World Cup in South Korea.[3](https://std-pre-prod.whufc.com/en/news/academy-of-internationals-or-jordan-spence) In the final group game, with qualification to the knockouts at stake, he wore the armband against Brazil in front of nearly 10,000 fans near Seoul; after [Henri Lansbury](https://www.edgepedia.org/henri-lansbury)'s equalizing penalty deep into stoppage time, Spence scored the winner.[3](https://std-pre-prod.whufc.com/en/news/academy-of-internationals-or-jordan-spence) • [9](https://inside.fifa.com/tournaments/mens/u17worldcup/india2017/news/vintage-year-for-england-s-youngsters-2917573) He never received a senior call-up, and his senior international record consists of one Under-21 appearance as a substitute against Iceland in March 2011.[3](https://std-pre-prod.whufc.com/en/news/academy-of-internationals-or-jordan-spence) • [2](https://www.11v11.com/players/jordan-spence-228851/)
## Life after football
Spence brought his professional career to a close aged 30 during the COVID-19 pandemic. He now lives in Los Angeles, where he runs a production company with his wife, the actress and singer [Naomi Scott](https://www.edgepedia.org/naomi-scott).[3](https://std-pre-prod.whufc.com/en/news/academy-of-internationals-or-jordan-spence)
## Other people named Jordan Spence
The name also belongs to a Canadian professional ice hockey defenceman. Listed at 5'11" and 188 lbs, he developed in the [Los Angeles Kings](https://www.edgepedia.org/los-angeles-kings) organization and was traded to the [Ottawa Senators](https://www.edgepedia.org/ottawa-senators) in 2025 in exchange for a 2025 third-round pick and a 2026 sixth-round pick, becoming a pending restricted free agent after the 2025/26 season.[6](https://sports.yahoo.com/articles/numbers-dont-lie-pending-rfa-010521718.html) • [7](https://www.cbssports.com/nhl/players/3140820/jordan-spence/) A separate contemporary footballer, the Tottenham Hotspur and England full-back [Djed Spence](https://www.edgepedia.org/djed-spence), is a different player.[8](https://www.tottenhamhotspur.com/news/1085709)
## References
1. [Jordan Spence – Player profile, Transfermarkt](https://www.transfermarkt.com/jordan-spence/profil/spieler/61588)
2. [Jordan Spence Football Player Statistics, 11v11.com](https://www.11v11.com/players/jordan-spence-228851/)
3. [Academy of Internationals | Jordan Spence, West Ham United FC](https://std-pre-prod.whufc.com/en/news/academy-of-internationals-or-jordan-spence)
4. [Jordan Spence tekent voor rest van seizoen bij ADO Den Haag, ADO Den Haag](https://adodenhaag.nl/nl/nieuws/laatste-nieuws/1e-elftal/8417-jordan-spence-tekent-voor-rest-van-seizoen-bij-ado-den-haag)
5. [Jordan Spence – stats, career and market value, FotMob](https://www.fotmob.com/players/148904/jordan-spence)
6. [The Numbers Don't Lie: Pending RFA Jordan Spence Thrived In Every Role This Season, Yahoo Sports](https://sports.yahoo.com/articles/numbers-dont-lie-pending-rfa-010521718.html)
7. [Jordan Spence, Ottawa Senators, D – News, Stats, Bio, CBS Sports](https://www.cbssports.com/nhl/players/3140820/jordan-spence/)
8. [Spence departs for Inter, Tottenham Hotspur FC](https://www.tottenhamhotspur.com/news/1085709)
9. [Vintage year for England's youngsters](https://inside.fifa.com/tournaments/mens/u17worldcup/india2017/news/vintage-year-for-england-s-youngsters-2917573)
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*Topic: Encyclopedia › Sports, games, and recreation › Association football › Football people and teams › People › Men's footballers of the British Isles (modern era) › English footballers 2015–present › Defenders › Full-backs and wing-backs*
*Initially written Sep 17, 2026 · Reviewed: Oct 21, 2026 · Edited: Oct 12, 2026; Oct 15, 2026; Oct 21, 2026 · Last review: Oct 21, 2026*
*Copyright 2026 EdgeChat AI, a subsidiary of Biostate AI.*
License: Edgepedia Community License 1.0, https://www.edgepedia.org/edgepedia/license