Dele Alli: 10 key dates highlighting his meteoric rise in 2015
Published:
Jamie Clark, Sports Editor | November 18, 2015
Dele Alli has had quite a year, one which started in League One with MK Dons and culminated in a scoring, Man of the Match performance for England against France.
To come so far in so short a period in 2015 is quite remarkable, and he is now odds-on at 4/6 with Coral to make the Three Lions’ Euro 2016 squad.
That got our football experts thinking; what has the timeline of Alli’s meteoric rise been? Here are 10 key dates:
February 2nd: Spurs sign Alli
Tottenham see something in the burgeoning talent, who has a dozen goals in 28 League One games, and they pay a reported initial fee of £5m, but also loan Alli back to Stadium:mk for the rest of the campaign.
April 19th: Accolade recognises achievement
Alli is named the Football League’s Young Player of the Year for 2015, having scoring his 16th goal of the season the previous day.
May 3rd: Dons complete Championship climb
At long last, MK Dons earn promotion to the second tier, finishing as runners-up in League One behind Bristol City as Karl Robinson’s men thrash relegated Yeovil Town 5-1. This is Alli’s last Dons outing.
August 8th: The big time
Mauricio Pochettino shows no hesitation in giving Alli a Spurs debut in their Premier League opening day defeat at Old Trafford.
August 22nd: Alli opens account at Foxes
A first Premier League goal on just his second appearance in England’s top-flight at the King Power Stadium helps Tottenham take a draw from their trip to Leicester City. Alli heads home from Nacer Chadli.
September 3rd: Immediately in Under-21s
Gareth Southgate gives Alli an England Under-21 debut against the USA’s Olympic team (Under-23), and he plays an hour of the friendly.
September 27th: Sizing Europe
Pochettino plays Alli from the start in Spurs’ first Europa League group stage game at home to Qarabag, and he rewards his head coach by assisting the second of two White Hart Lane goals for summer signing Heung-Min Son.
October 9th: Senior set-up
With England having already secured their place at the Euro 2016 finals, Roy Hodgson calls Alli up to the Three Lions squad to face Estonia and Lithuania. A senior international debut against the former follows, replacing Ross Barkley.
November 8th: Derby day
Alli is named Man of the Match in Tottenham’s 1-1 north London derby draw against Arsenal; his midfield partnership with Eric Dier is really blossoming, leaving Arsene Wenger to sub off Spain playmaker Santi Cazorla at half-time.
November 17th: Lights up Les Bleus battle
An incredible 2015 ends with Alli rifling in a stunning opener for England in their end of year friendly against France, on the occasion of his first start and fourth cap.
He wins possession in a 50-50 tackle with Morgan Schneiderlin, breaks forward and then finishes the move. Alli also has a hand in setting up the second goal for Wayne Rooney, again winning the ball and feeding Raheem Sterling to cross for the Three Lions skipper.
