adminLONDON. – Dele Alli is 21 today and is better than Cristiano Ronaldo was when it comes to making and scoring goals.
The Tottenham and England midfielder has been involved in 40 goals so far in his fledgling career. Compare that to Ronaldo, who had been involved in 25 by the time he was 21, scoring 14 and assisting in 11.
Frank Lampard had been involved in 15, Paul Scholes 14, Steven Gerrard 13 and David Beckham 12.
Some company Alli is keeping – especially as he has only scored twice from outside the area in the English Premier League. His first was against Crystal Palace in 2016 when he controlled, flicked and fantastically found the corner. That won him goal of the season.
His second was against Watford on Saturday. This one was spectacular too — a 25-yarder that got Tottenham on their way to a sixth straight win as they chased down Chelsea.
Tottenham manager Mauricio Pochettino was delighted as well as impressed by Alli’s super stats when the list was read to him.
“Wow. That’s unbelievable, no?” he said. “First of all a great kid. He’s a lovely, lovely person. And then he is a great player. And then he is so young he can improve a lot, he can learn a lot, his potential is massive.
“Everyday he’s improving and every day he gets more mature. He’s improving in his skills but in his character as well.”
Of their father-son relationship, the Argentine added: “He’s special. He’s different from all the players who play now at his age. He’s so experienced. His energy, his character, his quality. He is a unique player. – Mailonline.
Peter Tanyanyiwa
Online Reporter