Djed Spence appears to snub Thomas Partey handshake as England fans boo Ghana midfielder | OneFootball

Thomas Partey was heavily booed by England fans and Djed Spence appeared to snub a handshake with the Ghana international ahead of the World Cup clash in Boston.

Videos on social media seemed to show the Tottenham defender refuse to put his hand out to the 33-year-old former Arsenal midfielder after the national anthems were sung.

Partey returned to the Black Stars’ starting XI after missing last Wednesday’s game with Panama in Toronto.

He was denied entry to Canada last week having been charged with seven counts of rape and one count of sexual assault in London between 2020 and 2022.

Partey told officials in the host country that he had never been arrested or charged with a crime. He denies all charges and will attempt to clear his name at a trial that is expected to take place next summer.

Spence appeared to refuse a handshake with Partey (Getty)

But England fans seemed unwilling to forget and were hostile towards him from the start, booing as his name was read out ahead of kick-off.

He was also jeered when he was on the ball in the early stages of the game in Boston.

Partey spent five years in the Premier League after signing for Arsenal in 2020. He made 167 appearances for the Gunners before leaving the club last summer to join La Liga club Villarreal.

Ahead of Tuesday’s match, he spoke about being reunited with former teammates Bukayo Saka and Declan Rice.

Partey told media in footage posted on TV3 Ghana’s X account: “I’m really happy to see them again. I hope they’re going to bring their best and try to give us the opportunity to play against the best and try to compete and enjoy the game.”

Speaking about the England encounter, Partey added: “It’s not about personal achievement. We are going to play a game of football.

“We are 11 players, we are a team. We have to play as a team. Individually if I can get my best game I will be happy, but at the end of the day it’s the whole team that needs to be at the top level to be able to achieve what you want to achieve.”