Former Liverpool forward Stan Collymore has told Dele Alli what he needs to do to become the best midfielder in Europe.
The Spurs star has been sparingly-used by boss Mauricio Pochettino this season and has only featured in two of his side's opening nine Premier League games.
The England international endured a campaign to forget last season, with a thigh injury and several hamstring injuries seeing him miss 23 games.
And Collymore is calling on the former MK Dons man to add some nastiness to his game in a bid to get his career back on track.
"After Dele Alli made his first Premier League start of the season, it’s time to give him the kick up the backside he needs," the former England international wrote in the Mirror .
"Long-time readers will know he's one of my favourite players in our game when he's on song and I do like the fact he's a nice lad with that big grin.
"But that can only take you so far in the game and he now has to get his head down and forget the clowning around if he doesn't want to be overtaken at Tottenham and with England.
"If he even added one per cent of the nastiness of a Roy Keane or Graeme Souness to his game it would be the start to him going on to fulfil a potential which could see him become the best midfielder of his type in Europe.
"This time two years ago, we'd have been talking about him being indispensable for club and country but that isn't the case for either anymore."
