David Pleat: Tottenham goalscoring sensation was supposed to be a holding midfielder
By Matt Farr
Former Tottenham manager David Pleat has admitted that Dele Alli was seen as more of a holding midfielder when he convinced the club to sign him.
Pleat was one of the men responsible for bringing the 20-year-old to the club two seasons ago, after urging Tottenham chairman Daniel Levy to snap him up.
Yhe midfielder’s remarkable rise over the last two years into one of England’s best footballers suggests just how valuable Pleat’s advice was to Levy and Tottenham.
Alli has scored 17 goals and supplied eight assists for the north London club in all competitions this season, including four goals and two assists in his last four matches.
But Pleat knew from the very start that Alli was destined for stardom, and revealed to BBC Radio 5 Live exactly what he saw in the player several years ago.
He said: “He was very athletic, and he can run from box to box comfortably, he has got a nice stride, unselfish, decent in the air.
“He was more of a holding midfielder, even though he got quite forward. I saw him away from home in a couple of games and his attitude amongst more senior players, he was like an old head on young shoulders.”
Pleat also reserved special praise for Tottenham manager Mauricio Pochettino for his handling of the player’s development.
He hailed the Argentine for immediately throwing the youngster into his first-team setup, a move which has proven to be a masterstroke.
Alli signed for Tottenham from MK Dons for just £5million in February 2015, before spending the remainder of the campaign back on loan at the League One outfit.
But in just a short time at Tottenham, Alli has become an indispensable first team asset, played regularly in the Champions League and earned 16 senior international caps.
In other Tottenham news, an injured Spurs star has been pictured at England training on Saturday.
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