Dele Alli's stock has plummeted dramatically since Mauricio Pochettino was sacked as Tottenham manager in November 2019.
At the time, Alli was regarded as one of the most talented youngsters in European football. He was a two-time PFA Young Player of the Year with 37 senior England caps and a Champions League final appearance to his name. It seemed as if the sky was the limit.
Fast forward three-and-a-half years, Alli's career hangs in the balance. It is believed he has been dropped by Besiktas and it is unclear where his future lies. Yet the former Tottenham superstar was warned this could happen by Roy Keane and Jose Mourinho.
Speaking in October 2019, Keane was asked by ITV Sport presenter Mark Pougatch for his views on Alli reportedly putting his commercial activities on hold. "Interesting Dele Alli this week, getting rid of all of his commercial activities," noted Pougatch.
"[Perhaps] realising that maybe he’s at a bit of a tipping point of his career, 'Hang on a second, I was the bright young thing at Tottenham and England and that’s not the case any longer'."
Keane replied, "Yeah, we saw the signs with one or two of these young players you mentioned who have disappeared... They should have done that about a year ago. And they mightn't get a chance to get back in [now] - that’s what happens in football."
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A month after those comments, Pochettino was given the boot and replaced by Mourinho. The Portuguese tried to get the best out of Alli by speaking to him one-on-one. This conversation was filmed in Amazon's documentary series, Tottenham: All of Nothing .
Mourinho told Alli, "I am 56 now, and yesterday, yesterday, I was 20. In no time. Time flies. One day, I think you will regret if you don't reach what you can reach.
"I'm not expecting you to be the man of the match every game, I'm not expecting you to score goals every game. I want to tell you that I think you will regret. You should demand more from you. Not me demanding more from you. Not me. Nobody. You. I think you should demand more from you."
Yet Mourinho's comments did not inspire Alli. The playmaker scored just one Premier League goal between August 2020 and January 2022 before Tottenham allowed him to join Everton on a free transfer. The Toffees may have to pay up £40million in add-ons.
The first £10m will be due when Alli makes 20 appearances for Everton. He's played just 13 games so far - failing to score - which is perhaps the reason why he was sent out on loan to Besiktas at the start of this season. His Everton contract expires in June 2024.
Alli's time in Turkey has not gone to play. He's played only 13 league games for Besiktas and it is believed manager Senol Gunes has informed the player he is no longer wanted. He will return to Everton in the summer - leaving manager Sean Dyche with a big decision.
