Dele Alli has been advised to “step down a league or two” in a bid to rebuild his career, with the ex-England international a “disaster” for Everton.

Article continues below

Article continues below

Article continues below

Midfielder lost his spark at SpursUnable to rediscover it on MerseysideHeading towards free agencyWHAT HAPPENED?

The former Tottenham midfielder was once considered to be one of the hottest prospects in world football, with 37 caps earned for his country. He was a goal-scoring force to be reckoned with at Spurs and regularly drew links to some of the biggest sides in Europe.

AdvertisementGettyTHE BIGGER PICTURE

A spark soon fizzled out in north London, though, and Dele was presented with a clean slate when linking up with Everton in January 2022. That move has not worked out as planned, with a succession of frustrating injury problems holding him back, and another change is now on the cards as his contract runs down.

WHAT KING SAID ABOUT DELE

Former Everton scout Bryan King has suggested that the MK Dons academy graduate may have to step back into the Football League when hitting free agency, telling of a player that is still just 27 years of age: “He’s not an Everton player, I can’t see his future there. He’s got to get his head around rebuilding his career, and I can’t see him rebuilding it at Everton. I think maybe he needs to step down a league or two, he’s still young enough. Ever since he stepped foot at Everton, he’s been a disaster. He had so much going for him at Tottenham, he’s just dropped off the radar. Terrible.”

GettyWHAT NEXT FOR DELE?

Dele has been struggling with a persistent groin problem of late, having undergone surgery in January, and appears destined to sever ties with the Toffees after making just 13 appearances for them – with a forgettable loan spell at Turkish side Besiktas thrown into the mix last season.