‘I wanted to show everyone’ – Dele Alli opens up on his big move to Tottenham

The transfer to Tottenham in 2015 was a huge jump for Dele, but when reflecting on the switch now, he insists he was prepared to show what he was capable of, and had the versatility and understanding of the game to succeed at the top level.

Spurs snapped up an 18-year-old Dele from MK Dons in 2015, and the youngster had an almost instantaneous impact in North London.

Despite his age and inexperience at that level, Dele became a star player under Mauricio Pochettino and developed into one of the most impressive and prolific creative midfielders the Premier League has ever seen.

A record of 67 goals and 59 assists in 269 appearances for the Lilywhites speaks for itself (Transfermarkt). It is these incredible highs that make Dele’s fall from grace all the more heartbreaking, but he is pushing for a return and the future looks bright once again.

Dele was comfortable settling in at Spurs

In an appearance on Sky Sports’ Monday Night Football, Dele was asked about that big move to Tottenham and how he was able to adjust so quickly to the demands of the top flight.

He said: “Obviously I wouldn’t have made that step if I didn’t think I was ready to play there, and I wanted to play there. I wanted to show everyone there that I deserved to be here. And I did that. In training, I just felt good. In pre-season games, I felt so comfortable with the players and the levels.

“I was just waiting for my chance. It maybe happened a little bit quicker than I might have expected, but I wasn’t surprised.”

When asked about the role he played under Pochettino, Dele added: “I signed as an 8. But the way the team naturally flowed it worked perfectly for me to be in that 10 role. My strengths as an attacking player were perfect for that system and the players we had at the time.

“When it did happen, I was happy to get goals and assists, and played with some amazing players. I think starting as an attacking player when I was younger, then dropping back and sometimes playing left-wing [at MK Dons], playing all those different positions gave me the understanding to know where players would go around me.”

Spurs Web Opinion

Those peak Dele years are truly something special. The way he burst onto the scene and just kept getting better and better is the kind of journey any young player dreams of, and hopefully, he can get back to those levels soon.

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