Dele Alli - The Prince Who Never Was
After Wayne Rooney, Dele Alli was arguably England's next generational talent.
England have had some of the best generational talents in world football in the last decade - Raheem Sterling, Phil Foden, Bukayo Saka, and Jude Bellingham.
But arguably none of them possessed the natural talent of Dele Alli, a player described by Sir Alex Ferguson as the best young midfielder of his generation.
The Rise Of England's Lionel Messi
Dele Alli began his football career as a teenager in the youth ranks of English fourth-tier side MK Dons before moving to Tottenham Hotspur in 2015. On a famous night in 2014, Dele Alli helped MK Dons enjoy one of the biggest wins in their football history as they stunned Manchester United 4 - 0 in the Carabao Cup.
Dele Alli burst onto the scenes in 2015 at Tottenham Hotspur as he enjoyed a sensational debut season at the club, scoring 10 goals with 11 assists. At just 19, he was rewarded with his first senior England callup, making his debut against Estonia before scoring a fantastic long-range goal in his first start for England against France.
After his first season at Spurs, he won the PFA Young Player Of The Year award in 2015/2016 and then again in the 2016/2017 season after an even better campaign, scoring 22 goals with 13 assists. For a player dubbed England's Lionel Messi, Dele Alli was certainly on track as he scored the decisive goal against Sweden at the Russia World Cup 2018 to send England into the semifinals.
His skills were stunning and breathtaking, earning him comparisons to Ronaldinho and Maradona, as he left opposition players in their wake while weaving majestically through midfield. It wasn't an unpopular sight to see rival fans gaping and applauding sometimes as he terrorized their players.
He was just too good. Too good for the rivals to deny.
His Traumatic Childhood
In a very emotional interview with renowned Sky Sports' pundit Gary Neville in July 2023, Dele Alli spoke for the first time about his difficult childhood.
Dele Alli's childhood was traumatic as he grew up with an alcoholic mom. "My childhood is something I haven't spoken about that much, to be honest. I mean, I think there were a few incidents that could give you a brief understanding."
While in tears, Alli spoke of being sexually abused multiple times by his mum's friend at age six before being sent to "Africa" to live with his Nigerian father. He returned to the UK six months later after a difficult time with his dad but things got significantly worse.
"At seven, I started smoking; at eight, I started dealing substance. An older person told me that they wouldn't stop a kid on a bike, so I rode around with my football, and then underneath, I'd have the substances; that was eight. Eleven, I was hung off a bridge by a guy from the next estate, a man."
Dele Alli was later adopted at 12 and lived with his new family whom he adored until he signed his first professional contract with Tottenham Hotspur at 18 years old in February 2015.
The Good, Old Glory Days
The talented midfielder Dele Alli enjoyed the best years of his career at Tottenham Hotspur while playing under then-head coach Mauricio Pochettino by scoring 55 goals with 50 assists. Under Pochettino, he was a revitalized player who could bring a stadium to its knees with moments of magic and flying sparks of brilliance.
One of Dele Alli's most famous goals was in 2016 at Selhurst Park when he stunned Crystal Palace in the 84th minute as he controlled the ball with a deft touch, tipped it over the head of defensive midfielder Mile Jedinak, before slamming it into the net with a dipping volley from 20 yards.
Very Van Persie eqsue.
A Calamitous 2019/2020 Season
For large spells of the 2019/2020 season, Dele Alli harboured a hamstring injury that drastically reduced his game time and significantly impacted his performances on the pitch.
And then Mauricio Pochettino was sacked.
Pochettino's sacking in November 2019 was a shockwave to the football world as he was arguably Spurs' best manager in modern history, taking them to a Champions League final against Liverpool just five months prior in June. In his place, two-time Champions League-winning manager José Mourinho was appointed.
And with Mourinho's appointment came Dele Alli's disappointments.
Despite just returning from a hamstring injury, Deli Alli suffered a muscle injury that ruled him out for large spells of Mourinho's first year at Tottenham Hotspur; regardless, he still mustered a decent return of seven goals while assisting five others.
But Mourinho's time at Spurs was mired with tensions between Dele Alli and his new manager. In his interview with Gary Neville, Alli while talking about when his substance abuse began said:
"It’s hard to pinpoint one exact moment [when I started to feel that things weren’t right]. Probably the saddest moment for me was when [José] Mourinho was manager, I think I was 24. I remember there was one session, like one morning I woke up and I had to go to training – this is when he’d stopped playing me – and I was in a bad place."
"I remember just looking in the mirror – I mean it sounds dramatic but I was literally staring in the mirror – and I was asking if I could retire now, at 24, doing the thing I love."
"For me, that was heart-breaking to even have had that thought at 24, to want to retire. That hurt me a lot, that was another thing that I had to carry."
José Mourinho was later sacked by Tottenham Hotspur in April 2021 and the name Dele Alli had become nothing more than whispers from the past. Alli was later sold to Everton in 2022 following subsequent disastrous campaigns at Spurs but still found it difficult to make any profound impact at the Merseyside club.
To the wider world, Dele Alli's wane from the beautiful game had been encapsulated at Goodison Park but in truth, his decline had begun on that eventful day in November 2019.
Alarm Bells In Türkiye
Dele Alli was booted to the Turkish Süper Lig from Everton in August 2022 where he signed on loan for Turkish side Beşiktaş. In a football sense, it was considered a tragedy for such a talented player who had somehow lost his way from the crème de la crème of elite football but in isolation, it was a chance.
A chance at redemption.
Beşiktaş fans turned up in hundreds as they heralded Dele Alli's arrival at the club but it didn't take long before he got booed off the pitch by the same fans in December after a woeful 29 mins against third-tier side Şanlıurfa. With Beşiktaş losing 2 - 0, he was hooked off by then manager Şenol Güneş at 30 mins; at the end of the match, Beşiktaş had won 4 - 2.
He was also publicly criticized by the manager who said he didn't "deserve to play" as "the current situation has not met our expectations as a team."
The fallout between player and manager worsened earlier this year in March when Güneş accused him of failing to turn up for training - Dele Alli later took to social media and denied going AWOL.
Multiple media reports also emerged later in April 2023 as he was pictured with bottles of nitrous oxide, commonly referred to as 'hippy crack', on his return to the UK from Beşiktaş to recover from a hip injury that needed surgery.
His loan at Beşiktaş subsequently came to an underwhelming end as he returned to Everton and has not featured since then.
What's Next For Dele Alli?
Following his interview with Gary Neville in July, the football world responded with outpouring emotions, sympathizing with his struggles and downward trend since his late days at Tottenham Hotspur.
Dele Alli revealed his mental health had significantly deteriorated and he had sought professional help in therapy. Speaking on his rehabilitation, he said, "My rehab in America helped me tackle my trauma."
"I think trauma is trauma and your body registers it in the same way, no matter what it is. Even if you think you're fine, you've got nothing to worry about. Going and speaking to someone and opening up will help you realise that."
The moving interview evoked questions about players' welfare and called for more action to be taken to protect players and shield them from online abuse on social media platforms, especially young footballers.
Former manager Mauricio Pochettino now at Chelsea responded to the interview saying he couldn't finish it because "it was so painful." Pochettino also said he hoped to see Alli in London, "to meet him and give him a big hug."
Dele Alli ended the interview by thanking his friends, family, teammates, and everyone who helped him become a better person. He also made a rallying call to all footballers to seek professional help where necessary.
"Embrace change – I have, and I hope my experiences inspire others to do so."
Dele Alli currently remains at Goodison Park as an Everton player and although he is sidelined with a groin issue, Everton manager Sean Dyche has admitted they're collaborating to make observations about how the team is playing.
His remarks have fueled speculations that Dele Alli could be set for a managerial role as a "makeshift coach."
