Dele Alli opens up on how exposure to the spotlight changed his life
According to the Otro Youtube channel, (h/t Daily Star), Tottenham Hotspur midfielder Dele Alli has revealed that he has had to adapt and learn following his transformation into a Premier League and international star.
Still only 23, Alli has played in 307 competitive games for both Milton Keynes Dons and Tottenham Hotspur. Given his experience, it is sometimes lost that he is still very much a youngster.
The young-gun broke into the first-team at boyhood club MK Dons as a 16-year-old in 2012. His impressive performances caught the eye of Liverpool and Tottenham Hotspur. Spurs eventually won the race for his signature and the player signed for the club in a deal worth £5million in 2015.
It has been money well spent as Alli has blossomed to one of our best players.
It was a dizzying rise from League One football to the Premier League as Alli also went on to win his first England cap at the age of 19. By the age of 21, he had already won two PFA Young Player of the Year awards. Only Ryan Giggs, Robbie Fowler, and Wayne Rooney have won the award twice in the Premier League era. Illustrious company indeed.
With his performances catching the public eye, the 23-year-old has opened up on the struggles of realizing that he had to behave as a role model. Speaking on the youtube channel Alli revealed that he started getting attention following his debut for England.
“After I started playing for the national team a lot of people would stop me and ask for pictures.
It came as shock for the player who was used to living an ordinary life away from the public glare. His on-field success ensured that he was firmly thrust into the limelight and he understands the need to maintain decorum.
He admits that he has made mistakes in the past and has learned from them. He urged that he tries to live his life as a good person.
“I’ve always tried to live my life as a good person but I’ve made a lot of mistakes and it’s all about adapting and learning from them.
Alli also admitted that as a youngster, it is important to have good people around him, something that he thankfully believes he does.
The player has had run-ins with the authorities on a number of transgressions. He received a one-match ban from FIFA for making an offensive gesture in the match against Slovakia. He recently found himself in hot water after making an ill-advised video that presented an Asian in bad light.
Hopefully, the player has learned from these experiences and turns out to be a true role model in the years to come.
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Alli is one of the finest midfielders of his generation and hopes to emulate his idol, Steven Gerrard. If he gets anywhere close to the Liverpool legend’s level, Spurs will be very lucky indeed. Gerrard matured into a responsible and admirable public figure. In time let’s hope Alli does as well.
