There are still ‘not many better’ than Dele Alli when it comes to playing football.
That’s according to the Everton loanee’s former manager Karl Robinson, who believes his former protege has plenty of time to rebuild his career and get back to his best.
GETTY3Alli hasn’t had an easy time on the pitch in the last few seasons
Having left Tottenham in January 2022 following a dip in form and lack of game time under Antonio Conte, Alli joined fellow Premier League side Everton on a free transfer.
However after making 11 appearances and starting only one game in the 2021/22 season, and two further appearances this campaign, Alli was sent out on loan to Turkey with Besiktas.
The 26-year-old scored his first goal in over a year in his second appearance for the club, but was unable to keep his revival in form alive, drawing criticism from his manager.
It feels like an age since Alli rose into the MK Dons’ first team which later led to a £5million move to Tottenham. Alli went on to score 67 goals and record 61 assists in 269 appearances for the north Londoners.
And the man who offered him his chance at Stadium MK all those years ago insists the beautiful game is at the forefront of Alli’s mind.
“With Del, he loves football,” Robinson, who was recently dismissed as Oxford United manager, told talkSPORT’s Paul Hawksbee and Andy Jacobs live from Cheltenham Festival.
GETTY3Alli shone under Robinson from 2011 to 2015
“I think many people forget he’s a footballer first and the salary that comes along with that is because of his talent.
“First and foremost he wants to play football. And if he’s not playing wherever that is, he’ll find that incredibly difficult.
“I was speaking to Sam Allardyce yesterday and he never played him in his England game and he said he found that hard not playing. I said to him, if he’d have put the game on next to the stadium, he would’ve played in that game.
“And actually he brought him on as a sub and he changed the game as well. He’s just a lovely, lovely young man and he’s got so much time left in the game.”
AFP3Alli scored 22 goals in 2016/17, arguably his best season
Robinson believes Alli isn’t the only footballer that’s found it difficult to get his career back on track, either, thanks in part to the pressure and outside noise from fans and the media.
But despite the barriers in his way, the ex-Charlton and MK Dons boss believes Alli has the natural talent to get him back to the top again.
“We’ve spoken before about the media circus that goes around with negativity,” he continued, “Phil Foden is probably suffering from that in this moment in time. People have an opinion of him not playing, why he’s not playing, what’s he doing off the pitch.
“These are young men living their lives and got every right to live their life how they want to live it. Ok, there’s an element of respect and you get given this opportunity in this industry and you have to be thoughtful in the way you do things.
“One thing for me for Dele is once he goes on the football pitch and he’s left alone, there’s not many better than him. You just hope he gets that opportunity and he gets over this moment in time.”
When asked if a lack of confidence was to blame for his downfall, Robinson said: “I don’t know. In any walk of life when you’re suffering with your confidence, it doesn’t matter what you do.”
Alli has made 15 appearances for Besiktas this season, scoring three goals in that time. His loan deal with the Turkish Super Lig side expires at the end of the season.
