Tottenham defender Kyle Walker has given teammate Dele Alli some advice ahead of a huge season for the club.
Dele Alli has been tipped for stardom for a long time now, and this season could be the year that he pieces everything together and steps up to that next level. The early signs are good, with his latest achievement being scoring the goal that sealed Tottenham Hotspur’s 2-0 victory over Manchester City. As reported by Sky Sports, Spurs teammate Kyle Walker has given Alli some advice on how important it is for him to keep his momentum going this season.
“It’s vital,” Walker said ahead of England’s World Cup qualifier against Malta on Saturday. “I can remember when I got the Young Player of the Year, to follow it on the next season makes you a very good player or a very average player.
“He can express himself a little bit more, but I think he just needs to keep it simple sometimes, which the manager does tell him too.
“When he does express himself in the final third you can’t have a go at players for doing that, because more times than not it does come off. We do get a lot of goals from that.
“Everyone is going to do their homework on him, he’s a threat so you’re going to do your homework and try to stop him at source but Dele is an intelligent boy, he’s streetwise. He does seem to get away from people in tight situations.”
Walker will know all about the importance of consecutive strong seasons, with the 26-year-old being named PFA Young Player of the Year in 2012 and not being handed any other big accolades since. The last 12 months have seen him return to top form though, and he has become just as vital to Tottenham as anyone else.
Alli has received plenty of advice from former players and pundits over the last year or so, especially given some of his temperament issues. As long as he can remain focused on the task at hand, he could very quickly evolve into one of the most influential midfielders in the world.
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