Bamidele Jermaine Delle Alli — Player Story
In 2003, Alex Ferguson took his famed Manchester United team to Portugal — for a friendly with Lisbon’s footballing pride — Sporting Lisbon a.k.a Sporting club de Portugal.
There was the legendary Paul Scholes, the resilient Nicky Butt and the energetic new recruit Eric Djemba-Djemba in the midfield, a formidable central defence pairing of Rio Ferdinand and Michael Silvestre with the blow-hot blow-cold goalkeeper Fabian Barthez between the posts. Goal fiend Ruud van Nistelrooy started on the bench.
United arrived in Lisbon after four successive victories in the Americas on the tour and the confidence was sky-high.
Enter Cristiano Ronaldo, the hottest prospect in Portugal at the time.
Ronaldo put on a stellar display of his tricks museum — as he ran the United midfield ragged and shred the defence to pieces. His incredible ability to stretch the game to the wide angles, coupled with his pace, heading ability and a pathological obsession to dribble past at least two men before giving the pass fatigued United into submission.
Joao Pinto [2 goals] and Luis Felipe [1 goal] — Ronaldo’s team-mates, made the best use of this Ronaldomination as United lost the game 3–1. The mighty reds were pushed back so much that they did not even manage to score a goal. The solo consolation being a Hugo own goal.
While Real Madrid, Inter Milan, AC Milan and a host of Europe’s best clubs were watching Ronaldo that day, hoping to look at how he develops and willing to wait for one more year, under the persistent insistence of Rio Ferdinand and Paul Scholes to sign Ronaldo up immediately before they leave Lisbon, Ferguson made a move. Ronaldo was to sign for United — with the promise that he will play at least 50% of the matches.
Ronaldo scored bucket loads of goals, got better at judgement and became the central focus in a team boasting off Rooney, Tevez and Berbatov as his strike partners under Alex Ferguson’s hawkish tutelage. In 2008, he became the first player to win both the Ballon D’Or and the FIFA World Player of the Year.
Five years after he moved on to Real Madrid as the most expensive transfer ever in world history, in the August of 2014, Louis van Gaal’s Manchester United were similarly humbled and knocked out of the League Cup by minnows Milton Keynes Dons, shortly called MK Dons.
There were scouts from top European clubs like Bayern Munich and Liverpool watching someone in the MK Dons team that day. Someone who slipped through their gigantic grasp and ended up at Tottenham Hotspur.
Enter Bamidele Jermaine Delle Alli.
Alli grew up idolising Steven Gerrard and wanted to join Liverpool — but the Anfield Giants weren’t ready to match his expectations for what he achieved by that point — and they let the deal go.
In his first full season at the White Hart Lane, Delle Alli won the prestigious Young Player of the Year award.
This year, in his second season for the Spurs, he became the first player after Wayne Rooney [2004–05, 2005–06] to win the YPOTY award in two successive seasons.
There are only two other players to have ever lifted the YPOTY award in two back-to-back seasons.
Liverpool legend Robbie Fowler [1994–95, 1995–96], who scored the fastest hat-trick in Premier League at the time, scored a mammoth total of 183 goals for Liverpool in all competitions earning the nickname — “God” in the process.
AND
United legend Ryan Giggs [1991–92, 1992–93] — who is the most decorated player in the history of football.
That’s some great company to have at 21 years of age.
And is there a better way to celebrate, and to show you belong, than to create history against bitter-rivals Arsenal.
Delle Alli scored the first goal in a wonderful interplay with Christian Eriksen — effectively shutting down all celebrations of St. Totteringham’s Day [a festival started by Arsenal fans to be celebrated on the day it becomes mathematically impossible for their bitter north-London rivals to finish above Arsenal]
As the White Hart Lane faithful chanted — “Only cost 5 Mill, better than Ozil” — the German maestro looked devoid of fight and couldn’t conjure his magical weighted through balls.
Tottenham will finish over Arsenal this year — after 22 years of deep hurt and banter.
Well done Spurs!
Liverpool’s loss is Tottenham’s gain as Delle Alli seems to be getting better every year.
Be very very afraid!
Amidst rumours that he is headed to Real Madrid this summer, we looked up for all the transfers ever done in the PL era between Spurs and Madrid.
It seems like just yesterday, Daniel Levy — the chairman at Tottenham was haggling with Real Madrid for Gareth Bale. Though truth be told, it will be 5 years since that — if Delle Alli moves this summer to Madrid.
Can Pochettino keep his young superstar? Or will Zidane be waiting with glee? Who can he replace in the modern version of Madrid’s Galacticos?
Let us know what you think in the comments section.
