Dele Alli has sent a message to Tottenham fans after what has been an extremely difficult season for the England playmaker.
Dele rose to stardom under former Spurs boss Mauricio Pochettino, but the Argentine’s replacement, serial winner but controversial character, Jose Mourinho, froze Alli out of the team.
He found games hard to come by, with Mourinho openly describing him as "lazy" during the All or Nothing documentary on Amazon Prime.
Mourinho's sacking gave Alli an opportunity though and he has taken it with a run of games under interim head coach, Ryan Mason.
Still, that playing time isn’t enough for someone so talented, and his lack of minutes suggests that he has very little chance of making Gareth Southgate’s 26-man European Championships squad for Euro 2020.
That extensive time on the sidelines has troubled Dele, and in an honest self-reflection expressed on Twitter, the 25-year-old has stated that he is determined to come back stronger and fitter than ever before.
“It goes without saying that this season has been the most difficult in my career so far,” he said. “There have been some incredibly low moments and tough challenges I’ve had to face but I’m grateful to always have the opportunity to do what I love.”
“This season has taught me I can’t take anything for granted and I’m more determined than ever to come back fitter and stronger. Thanks to the fans for the great support as always and look forward to seeing you all back in the stadiums next season.”
Whoever is in charge of Spurs next season will have a much easier job on their hands if they can get Dele Alli firing again. He’s unquestionably gifted, it’s just about replicating the form that showed why he was considered one of the hottest prospects in Europe.
Fans will be hoping he can do just that.
