Where did it all go wrong for Dele Alli? Everton team-mate Alex Iwobi explains why ex-England star cannot be trusted by coaches
- Spark began to fade at Tottenham
- Toffees quickly lost faith
- Disappointing loan spell in Turkey
WHAT HAPPENED? The talented playmaker has 37 England caps and close to 200 Premier League appearances to his name, but he has lost a spark over recent years and has struggled to make an impact while on loan at Besiktas in the 2022-23 campaign. Everton allowed Dele to head for Turkey last summer, as they lost faith in him, with Iwobi spending time working alongside the enigmatic 27-year-old at Goodison Park.
WHAT THEY SAID: Nigeria international Iwobi has told FilthyFellas of why Dele’s application in training could be considered responsible for the selection issues that have been holding him back: “With him, he will say it himself, he isn’t a training player. Unless it’s a match in training and then you see Dele perform. When it comes to training matches, he is a joke. When it comes to drills – he tries, but because he’s slow with it. When it comes to games, he will score and assist or something. It was hard for him to play. If you’re not just doing it in training, and at the time, the manager needed reliable players. He couldn’t really put his trust in him. We all know Dele could have performed.”
THE BIGGER PICTURE: Dele has seen his attitude called into question by prominent figures at Besiktas this season, leading to him seeing no competitive minutes since being hauled off at half-time in a meeting with Antalyspor on February 26.
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WHAT NEXT? Dele remains under contract at Everton through to 2024 and will be due back on Merseyside this summer. But with the Toffees facing the threat of relegation out of the Premier League and there seemingly little future for him at his parent club, another move may be on the cards in the next transfer window.