Jose Mourinho recently went viral on social media after footage from Amazon Prime series 'All or Nothing: Tottenham Hotspur' resurfaced. Mourinho is talking to Dele Alli in the footage, having a candid conversation in the manager's office about his career.
"I am 56 now and yesterday I was 20, you know that I mean? Time flies," Mourinho said in the documentary. "I think one day you will regret if you don't reach what you can reach. I am not expecting you to be the man of the match every game.
"I am not expecting you to score goals every game. I want just to tell you that I think you will regret. You should demand more from yourself. It should not be me demanding more from you. Nobody else, you. I think you should demand more from yourself."
ALSO READ: United receive surprise Cody Gakpo transfer boost
Mourinho's comments have often stood the test of time and his warning to Alli was no exception. Alli scored just eight goals in the Premier League in almost two full seasons under Mourinho and he was unable to arrest his decline, despite conversations regarding the trajectory of his career. Alli had the world at his feet at Tottenham but his regression has been remarkable and sad to follow.
After demonstrating the potential to become an exceptional talent, Alli established himself as one of the Premier League's finest players in his debut season with Tottenham in 2016/17. The midfielder exploded under the guidance of Mauricio Pochettino, but he was unable to sustain world-class performances.
Alli gradually became less and less effective in matches and Mourinho tried to inspire improvement from him during his tenure. Ultimately, he couldn't, nor could Antonio Conte, and Alli was offloaded to Everton in January this year. Frank Lampard has already seen enough.
Besiktas are set to sign Alli, 26, on a season-long loan from Everton and it speaks volumes that a club that has the ambition of staying in the Premier League this term have been happy to let him leave after just a few months - Alli is clearly not the same player.
Alli was outstanding for Tottenham and he looked set to play for England for a decade. He now finds himself at Besiktas during the prime years of his career instead. Alli's decline has been staggering and the smile on his face at his unveiling was suitably uneasy.
Mourinho should take no joy from his prediction coming true. It's a great shame to see a player of such potential regress in spectacular fashion and Manchester United's Marcus Rashford has been in danger of following that path over the last few seasons.
Rashford scored just five goals and recorded two assists last term and that was his worst contribution in front of goal since exploding into the first-team in 2016. Rashford was devoid of confidence and he looked like a shadow of his former self.
The brilliant, impactful performances that Rashford had shown he was capable of delivering were absent last term, which led to supporters' patience wearing increasingly thin. Rashford was no longer scoring goals or driving at the opposition with purpose.
This summer seemed like a crossroads in his career. After such a disappointing season and with a year left on his contract - albeit the club have the option of an additional year - Rashford needed to perform, otherwise, his days at United would become numbered.
Rashford is genuinely in danger of following the trajectory of Alli's career and the parallels between the pair are obvious. Both players exploded onto the Premier League scene in 2016, both enjoyed meteoric rises and both were established England internationals.
Both have regressed, but Rashford's decline has not been as stark in comparison and that means he still has the opportunity to revive his career at England's biggest club. Rashford should look to Alli and use him as an example of what not to do in his career.
Rashford looked back to his best against Liverpool on Monday night. He looked dangerous, his goal was outstanding and he was playing with the type of unbridled confidence that he exuded when he broke into the first team from the academy.
That performance suggested Rashford is fighting to arrest his decline and it suggested he has what it takes to enjoy a renaissance at Old Trafford. He needs to demand more from himself, just like Mourinho wanted Alli to do when he was Tottenham's manager.
READ MORE:
