Dele Alli has posted on social media for the first time since his once-promising career brutally hit rock bottom.
Playing for Turkish giants Besiktas on loan from Everton, the former England international was humiliatingly taken off after just 30 minutes in his side's cup clash with second-tier outfit Sanliurfaspor. With Besiktas already 2-0 down and a shock defeat on the cards, Alli was ruthlessly hooked by manager Senol Gunes in a damning indictment of his difficult time in Istanbul.
The former Tottenham star, 26, was mercilessly booed by angry fans who became much happier in the second half, when Besiktas emphatically came from behind to win 4-2. Scenes of Alli's substitution, as he made way for ex-Spurs teammate Gedson Fernandes, went viral after Wednesday's match and two days later, he broke his silence via social media.
In an Instagram post clearly fuelled by emotion, Alli showed himself holding a football tight to his chest in training. The 26-year-old then wrote: "You saved my life. That's why I will always love you," accompanied by purple love heart and football emojis.
The post received nearly 90,000 likes within two hours of posting, as Alli received a wave of support in the comments section. Among those sending their best wishes through emojis were Besiktas teammate Nathan Redmond and Everton pal Alex Iwobi.
A Besiktas fan also sent a firm but encouraging message to the 2018 World Cup semi-finalist, who boasts 37 caps for England but last featured in August 2019. "Dele, if you can't get yourself together ASAP, you will fall faster from where you are," they warned. "We have high expectations from you. We want to watch the world star player, not an ordinary player. Come on bro. We believe in you."
Have your say! Will Alli turn his career around at Besiktas? Give us your prediction in the comments section.
Alli arrived in Turkey with a smile on his face nearly four months ago but has only made nine first-team appearances since. Despite scoring two goals, the MK Dons academy graduate is yet to play a full 90 minutes and has struggled to establish himself under Gunes, who took over from former Barnsley and West Bromwich Albion boss Valerien Ismael in late October.
Besiktas sporting director Ceyhun Kazanci recently discussed Alli's plight and told TRT Spor : "No one can answer whether Dele Alli can do it right now. He is working very hard. He is a player who reached €100million (in transfer value) three years ago. He had a fall." Kazanci added: "Dele Alli is working intensively. We had intense talks with him before we signed him.
"Senol Gunes is famous for returning many players whose careers have been on the decline. We hope that he will be better in the second half of the season." Shortly after his appointment, Gunes admitted that he hadn't had enough time to work with his new players to fully "affect" them, but affirmed: "Let's not discuss Dele Alli as a player, but he is below expectations in terms of efficiency."
