Tottenham Hotspur star Dele Alli has established himself as a first-team regular for both club and country.
Ex-Tottenham boss Tim Sherwood sat down for an exclusive interview with Sky Sports, and discussed the evolution of Dele Alli, claiming that playing regularly with League One side MK Dons helped mould him into the player that he has become today.
Dele, 21, joined Spurs from MK Dons on transfer deadline day in the winter of 2015, before being immediately loaned back to the League One side.
Since then, the England international has been superb for the Lilywhites, chalking up 42 goals and 40 assists in just 138 games for his club – incredible stats for a midfielder.
The 21-year-old has earned his fair share of criticism, however, with his temperament often being called into question.
“Why is Dele Alli such a good player? He was not born that way. But he has been playing men’s football since he was 16 so he is game ready. People say he is petulant but I spent a lot of my time with the development squad trying to put that devil into players and it is difficult to do. Keep that in him. That is what he has learnt when he has been messing about with the ball on the edge of his own box for MK Dons and he has had senior players get him by the throat in the dressing room because they have mortgages to pay and he has lost them their win bonuses. That is real development. That is growing up.”
Spurs are still in the FA Cup, and are in good position from which to finish inside the Premier League’s top four.
Dele will have a huge part to play for Tottenham between now and the end of the season, especially with Harry Kane set to spend a prolonged period on the sidelines, and if he can produce his best form, Spurs will have an excellent chance of breaking their 10-year wait for a major trophy.
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