England have moved a step ahead to cap Tottenham Hotspur midfielder, Dele Alli, ahead of Super Eagles of Nigeria after they called him up for Euro qualifiers against Estonia and Lithuania with manager Roy Hodgson describing the player as “a very exciting talent.”
Alli’s father is Nigerian and he is also eligible to play for the Super Eagles, even though he has featured for various England age-group teams.
Alli has made a successful transition from League 1 (the English third-tier league) to the English Premier League this season.
He has scored a goal in 321 minutes of action in the EPL.
England have already qualified for the Euros in France next year and manager Hodgson said he has high regards for the versatile Alli, who could play as defensive, creative or attacking midfielder.
“We’ve been impressed with Dele Alli and this is a chance to get to know him. He’s a very exciting talent,” remarked the England boss.
Another Nigerian-born EPL ace, Jordon Ibe, has already opted to feature for England at full international level after a meeting with Nigeria coach Sunday Oliseh.
After just nine competitive appearances for Tottenham, Dele Alli is already primed for the next upward step in what has been a remarkable rise.
The teenage midfielder was playing League One football with MK Dons just four months ago, but he has already established himself as a key component of Mauricio Pochettino’s new-look side. Spurs have won four of their last five games, and Roy Hodgson has evidently noted Alli’s impressive performances in every one of them.
The 19-year-old agreed a £5m move to Spurs in January before returning to boyhood club MK Dons on loan for the rest of last season. He scored 16 goals from midfield as they won promotion from League One, and a few days after his 19th birthday he was named Football League Young Player of the Year.
Alli has taken the step up at Spurs in his stride. He was lining up against Yeovil Town just three months before their pre-season meeting with Real Madrid in August, but he was unfazed by his new surroundings and introduced himself by nutmegging Luka Modric. Alli has confidence as well as quality.
The teenage midfielder’s rapid rise continued with a Premier League debut at Old Trafford on the opening day of the campaign, and he scored his first goal for Spurs against Leicester before earning a call-up to England’s U21 squad. Since then, he has started all of Tottenham’s Premier League games.
At MK Dons they are toasting his success. Alli joined the club’s academy as an 11-year-old in 2007, and his burgeoning talent saw him fast-tracked into the first team at the age of 16. MK Dons’ director of youth Mike Dove oversaw his development right from the start.
