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Paul Robinson suggests £100k-a-week Spurs man isn’t getting the credit he deserves
Tottenham Hotspur midfielder Dele Alli has been praised by Sky Sports pundit Paul Robinson for looking match fit and sharp despite his lack of game time this season.
The 24-year-old has fallen down the pecking order at Spurs, with just one Premier League start under his belt and a mere 13 appearances all season.
Alli was rumoured to be on the verge of sealing a loan switch to Paris Saint-Germain during the January transfer window, which Daniel Levy reportedly blocked.
In addition, Jose Mourinho criticised the England international earlier this season, he created “problems” for Spurs in their League Cup win over Stoke.
Despite these issues, Alli has continued to train and be available when called upon, coming off the bench against Everton in the FA Cup, and Robinson has lauded the midfielder for his professionalism.
“You’ve got to give him a lot of credit Dele Alli, because you’ve not heard from him,” the former Tottenham goalkeeper told Sky Sports (11 February, 10:30am).
“Yes, there was all the talk of a potential move, of him leaving and his lack of game time, there’s the European Championships coming up at the end of the season which I’m sure he’ll want to play in, but you have to give him credit.
“He’s been used sporadically, he’s been used in cup ties which are probably a lot less glamorous than games he’s used to playing in and when he has played, he’s taken his chances and he’s looked as match fit as he could and he’s looked sharp.
“You’ve got to think that if Dele Alli is called upon between now and the end of the season he’ll be ready.”
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Robinson is spot on – there have been many stories and reports about Alli, but virtually nothing from the man himself, who has just been keeping his head down and getting on with business.
Mourinho opted to bring the playmaker off the bench against the Toffees and, while he couldn’t change the game, he didn’t perform badly either.
With games coming thick and fast in the coming weeks, there’s a good chance Alli will get plenty more minutes.