Destiny Udogie exclusive: ‘What happened away from football was a shock, something I’d never experienced before, I don’t wish it on anyone – but Spurs have really helped me and everything is good now, I don’t think about it any more’

Destiny Udogie has not had a straightforward start to the 2025-26 campaign – but he’s grateful for the way that Spurs and his family have rallied round him.

The defender first joined Tottenham Hotspur from Udinese in 2022, being loaned back to the Serie A club for a season before making the move to North London a year later.

Since then he’s made more than 80 appearances for Spurs, also forcing his way into the Italy squad, earning 12 caps so far.

Udogie's complicated campaign

Udogie was part of Spurs’ starting line-up as they beat Manchester United in the Europa League final in Bilbao last season, to secure the club’s first major trophy for 17 years, but has had two brief spells out of the 11 this season following a couple of knee injuries.

Speaking at the launch of PUMA’s new flagship store in central London, he says he has overcome those fitness issues.

“I had some setbacks but I’m feeling good and I just want to make sure I stay fit now,” said Udogie, who recently returned to the team.

“Obviously as a player you always want to play, so when you stay out of the team it’s not easy, but I’ve got my family and they help me every day.”

Udogie joined James Maddison, Morgan Rogers and Alex Scott at the store launch on Oxford Street – it’s PUMA’s largest ever European flagship store. “It’s nice to see the store – it’s beautiful,” he said. “I’ve been with PUMA almost all my life since I started playing professionally and I’ve always felt really good with them.”

Unwanted headlines

Udogie was in the news for unwanted reasons earlier this season after reports that he’d allegedly been threatened with a gun by a football agent.

It had previously been reported that an unnamed Premier League footballer had been targeted in London on September 6, with another man alleged to have been blackmailed and threatened by the same individual during the incident.

The Metropolitan Police confirmed that a 31-year-old man had been arrested on September 8 on suspicion of possession of firearms with intent, blackmail and driving without a licence, and had been bailed while enquiries continued.

In early November, Spurs issued a statement saying: “We have been providing support for Destiny and his family since the incident and will continue to do so.”

At a press conference, first-team boss Thomas Frank reiterated the club’s support for Udogie. “It is a terrible situation to have been in and I can’t speak too much about it as it’s a legal case, as we know, but the club and we have done everything we can to support him,” the Dane said.

That support has meant a lot to Udogie, after a difficult situation. “Obviously it was a shock because it was something I’d never experienced before – honestly, I don’t wish it on anyone,” he told FourFourTwo.

“But the club was close to me, they really helped me. I’m grateful to the club, and now it has passed, I’m looking at the present and I don’t think about it any more.

“The club were next to me, my family was next to me, everyone was really good and we just managed to pass that moment. Now everything is good.”