Crooks discloses reaction to Dele Alli’s stunning goal in Tottenham’s win from former Spurs midfielder Jermaine Jenas

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Dele Alli broke the deadlock during Tottenham Hotspur’s emphatic win over Watford in the Premier League.

Tottenham’s Dele Alli celebrates scoring

Garth Crooks has told BBC Sport that Jermaine Jenas exclaimed that Dele Alli was his player of the season the moment the Tottenham star found the back of the net during Spurs’ emphatic victory over Watford at the weekend.

Alli broke the deadlock against the Hornets at White Hart Lane with a stunning curling effort from the edge of the penalty area that found the top corner shortly after the half-hour mark.

And Crooks has suggested that former Spurs midfielder Jenas was adamant immediately following the strike that the 20-year-old was the most deserving candidate for the player of the year honour.

“The moment Dele Alli bent his super shot around the well-beaten Heurelho Gomes in the Watford goal, former Spurs midfielder Jermaine Jenas said: ‘He’s the player of the season for me’,” he told BBC Sport.

“Jermaine, preparing for Football Focus in the BBC green room, instigated a frightful debate prior to the programme around who deserved to win the PFA Player of the Year. Dion Dublin, Dan Walker, Martin Keown and myself immediately engaged in the argument with differing opinions but generally agreed that the prize would probably go to either to Eden Hazard or N’Golo Kante.

“Jermaine seemed incredulous that none of us had mentioned Alli and said that he wanted “more (flair) from his midfield players” which suggested that Kante came up short in that department as far as he was concerned.”

Although Kante and Hazard have been sensational for Chelsea this season, Alli’s form arguably deserves to be as highly regarded as he really has been brilliant for Mauricio Pochettino’s men again this term.

As well as providing five assists for his teammates in the Premier League, he has scored a staggering 16 goals from midfield, two more than Hazard has scored for the current league leaders, and six more than he managed in the league last season.

And while his time may not come this year, his sublime goal in the victory over Watford should arguably act as further proof that he will surely win all of the individual accolades available to him at some stage during his career.