‘I was speechless’ – Dele Alli makes shock revelation after Tottenham transfer
By Russell Edge
Tottenham midfielder Dele Alli has revealed that manager Mauricio Pochettino did not like him when he arrived at the club.
The now-21-year-old was signed from League One side MK Dons back in the winter transfer window of 2015, although spent the end of the 2014/15 on loan at his former club.
While he has gone on to establish himself as one of Spurs’ key players in Pochettino’s side, the star man admitted that his first one-to-one conversation with the Argentine manager and his assistants had not gone as he expected.
In a book exploring what life at Tottenham is like under Pochettino, Brave New World: Inside Pochettino’s Spurs, serialised by the Daily Mail, Alli said: “I didn’t know what he thought of me. The first proper one-on-one was with Jesus (Perez, assistant manager).
“They were speaking in Spanish and then Jesus said to me: ‘He didn’t like you…’
“I was speechless! He paused for like a second, and he said ‘…but now he loves you.’
“In his chats, he insists we all have to want it, there are no excuses for being tired and stuff.”
Such a revelation will have come as a shock to many considering how crucial the youngster has become for the club.
Alli has been a firm fixture in the Tottenham first team since his arrival, making 105 appearances for the club and scoring 35 goals across all competitions.
Last season saw him finish as the Premier League’s top scoring midfielder, with 18 strikes, but he has failed to capture the same impressive form this campaign, with two goals in eight top flight appearances.
His time at Tottenham has also seen him become an established member of the England squad, with 22 caps and two goals under his belt for the Three Lions.
In other Tottenham news, one star man is looking to triple his wages as contract talks open.
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