Dele Alli was once seen as the future of England after breaking into the Tottenham team, but he joins Everton in a deadline-day move in need of reigniting his career; Frank Lampard is the perfect manager under whom he can do just that, writes Paul Gilmour
Tuesday 1 February 2022 14:38, UK
Seven years ago, on a cold January evening at Hotspur Way, I stood in the car park and broadcast the details of Tottenham's only January signing of 2015.
Teenager Dele Alli had joined from MK Dons. The deal was worth £5m and he would be loaned back to the League One club for the remainder of the season.
To say Spurs supporters were agitated and underwhelmed, fuelled by wider criticism of the transfer policy at the club, would be somewhat of an understatement. However, as I found out months later this soon-to-be England international had an elite mindset with a natural talent beyond his years.
During an interview at the Football League awards as he collected League One Young Player of the Year, I asked him what he expected the following season when making such a leap to a club chasing Champions League football.
"I'm going to compete for a first-team place," was the confident response. It wasn't arrogant. He always came across as polite and respectful, but he always set high standards for himself. It was a refreshing approach, and he was true to his word.
A debut against Manchester United at Old Trafford on the opening day of the season was quickly followed by his first goal against Leicester City two weeks later.
As we know Alli developed into an exciting young talent who scored spellbinding goals against Crystal Palace and Chelsea. As an England international he quickly closed in on 40 caps.
After one goal against Watford in 2017 a certain former England midfielder offered this appraisal.
"Dele Alli is a special player. He is better than me when I was 20, that's for sure. He's got the knack for runs; he scores great goals.
Dele Alli is a special player. He is better than me when I was 20, that's for sure. He's got the knack for runs; he scores great goals.
"Too many attacking midfield players get towards the penalty spot and then stop and don't go that extra mile but there's so many goals to be had. But he does."
A glowing tribute indeed but he wasn't finished.
"He's ahead of the game," the former player continued. "Simple as that. He's advanced. Even on the international stage he looks comfortable."
"He's got all the ability it's just how he goes now, not just what he does on the pitch but off the pitch, the people around him, how he grows as a player but with that - as a starting point at 20 years of age, he's got the world at his feet."
That former player was his new manager at Everton - Frank Lampard. A few months later, after Alli produced a masterclass against Real Madrid, Lampard again waxed lyrical about him.
"He got moved behind Harry Kane because simply his runs are too good. His ability around the box and his knack of getting in the right place was too good and they link so well together.
"This season he's played up there quite high, then he's dropped back into midfield. He hasn't found that consistency of what he found for the second half of last season.
"In terms of young players in world football, his runs and timing and obviously his quality of finishing, is up there with anybody.
"I see those angled runs I tried to make. I always tried to make runs behind defenders because the defenders were sometimes marking and don't see that angled run behind."
Lampard will now manage Alli after personally intervening to encourage him away from the stale Spurs experience.
In an interview on Deadline Day Everton owner Farhad Moshiri described Lampard as "an impressive young man. You can quickly relate to him. There is a positivity and confidence that comes through. He is a very likable man."
With that in mind it's easy to conclude the former Chelsea boss could be the right personality to drag the 25-year-old back to his best level.
PFA Team of the Year, Tottenham captain in the League Cup, the memorable goals, being part of an exciting run to the Champions League final. This is the Dele Alli Spurs will remember fondly but somewhere along the line he lost his way.
In a World Cup year Lampard's task will be to help get the boy with the world at his feet back on track for club and country. If Dele can search within for the fighting spirit of that 18-year-old at the Football League awards, it could be the making of him.
In an exclusive interview with Sky Sports News after his move to Everton was confirmed late on Deadline Day, Alli spoke of Lampard's influence in convincing him to move to Merseyside, where he hopes he can finally rekindle his joy for football after a difficult end to his time at Spurs.
"I'm very excited, a bit tired from the long day but we got there in the end. I'm delighted," Alli said.
"I've had a few good conversations with him [Lampard] already, he's a player I admired through his whole career watching him. I'm pleased to work with him, it's very exciting, I'm sure we can do great things together.
"I just want to be happy playing football. Working with Lampard, and the great players Everton have got, is a great opportunity for me to do that. I'm excited to go there, show the fans what I can do, and help the club as much as I can."
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