Dele Alli

Coauthored by Seth Johnson and Stephen Kirchner

Obtained from Google search “Dele Alli,” labeled for noncommercial reuse

Height: 188 cm

Weight: 73 kg

Senior Experience: 2011-present

Caps: 6

Club: Tottenham (English Premier League)

Season Statistics: 7 Goals; 9 Assists; 86 Tackles

Role and Projected Tournament Outlook:

No one player sums up the optimism around England’s chances in 2016 more than Dele Alli. The recently turned 20 year old Alli has seen a meteoric rise in the last 8 months. From being signed from MK Dons in April to now, Alli has seen his fortune, his fame, and his place in England’s plans drastically change. It was not long ago that Tottenham started the season dismally, with 4 points from three games. Needing a change, Mauricio Pocchettino, the Tottenham manager, started Alli on September 13^th. Tottenham won, and haven’t looked back since, sitting high above expectations in second place in the Premiership. Alli has proven a dynamo in the midfield, playing all over the field in central, attacking, and defending roles (John Robertson). The versatility and energy Alli brings have many wondering when, not if, he’ll start in the Euros.

On the English front, though, Alli’s youth has brought as many questions as answers. Should he play up front in a crowded attacking third? More centrally as a distributor? Or use his defensive ability to shore up a shaky back line? Paradoxically Alli’s versatility may hurt his starting chances; he’s only won two appearances in qualifiers for Hodgson’s squad in the run up to the Euros. Yet Alli is already being touted as the next Gerrard or Lampard, running England’s midfield for the next decade. Is it all too soon for the 19 year old, asked to shoulder the burden of the Golden Generation’s midfield? In England’s recent friendly it didn’t seem so, as Alli held his own and at times outplayed World Cup winners Toni Kroos and Sami Khedira. Reporters seem split on whether Alli should start, but one thing is certain: when Alli does hit the field in France, there is an opportunity for some real spark.

How to cite this article: “Dele Alli” Written by Seth Johnson and Stephen Kirchner (2016), European Cup 2016 Guide, Soccer Politics Blog, Duke University, http://sites.duke.edu/wcwp/tournament-guides/european-cup-2016-guide/english-national-team/key-substitutes/dele-alli/ (accessed on (date)).