Tottenham Hotspur’s Dele Alli was badly missed for England.
Dele Alli’s controversial middle finger gesture against Slovakia landed him with a one game ban – but he has emerged as the big winner from his suspension.
Not only was he spared from England’s slog of a match against Slovenia last night, his reputation was enhanced by his absence.
England were desperately poor in attack, and looked devoid of creativity, sneaking a 1-0 win in the last minute.
Harry Kane and Marcus Rashford are both excellent players as they have shown this season in the Premier League, but they struggled to make an impact last night.
This was in part due to a conservative approach from manager Gareth Southgate, who selected Jordan Henderson and Eric Dier together in midfield, one of the most uninspiring pairings seen in recent years.
Alli is the perfect player to link Dier and Henderson’s stability to Kane and Rashford, and his presence was badly missed against Slovenia.
With Ross Barkley injured, England lack alternatives to Dele Alli.
Last night without playing, Alli looked more important to the Three Lions than ever before, and from a selfish perspective, the Spurs star should be thrilled with what a key figure he has become, with his World Cup place already guaranteed for next summer.
Receive exclusive football transfer news and updates twice a week to your mailbox
