Dele Alli has told FourFourTwo that it is a privilege to link up with a striker as talented as his in-form Tottenham and England team-mate, Harry Kane.
The Three Lions duo have formed a key part of Spurs’ resurgence under Mauricio Pochettino, with Kane blasting 63 Premier League goals since the beginning of 2014-15 and Alli adding 22 since his breakthrough at the start of last season.
They tend to score more goals when they play closer to each other, too. Dele has kicked off each of the past two campaigns in a deeper role, only for a move further upfield to coincide with an upturn in form for both himself and the striker.
You know that if you play the ball through to him, then nine times out of 10 he’s going to find the back of the net. It’s an honour to play with a striker like that
Alli assisted seven of Kane’s 25 league goals last term – a division-high combination – and the 20-year-old has particularly good things to say about the forward, who hit his third hat-trick of 2017 in Sunday’s shellacking of Stoke.
Speaking exclusively in the April 2017 issue of FourFourTwo magazine, Dele says: “We always speak about the opposition before a game. We tell each other what we’re going to be looking to do, then try to put it into action.
He holds the ball up and can bring other players into the game as well as score. He works so hard, too: if you do play him a bad ball, he’ll make it a good one
“He’s a fantastic player. You know that if you play the ball through to him, then nine times out of 10 he’s going to find the back of the net. It’s an honour to play with a striker like that.
“His all-round play is fantastic. He holds the ball up and can bring other players into the game as well as score. He works so hard, too: if you do play him a bad ball, he’ll work hard to make it a good one.”
Read the full interview with Dele Alli in the April 2017 issue of FourFourTwo magazine. Featuring some of the best young players in the world, we also meet up with Bayern Munich whiz kid Joshua Kimmich on his birthday and check in with Borussia Dortmund youngsters Christian Pulisic, Julian Weigl, Raphael Guerreiro, Ousmane Dembele and Alexander Isak. Plus, we speak to Ademola Lookman about making the jump from League One Charlton to Premier League Everton, profile 18-year-old Milan goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma – who’s already the heir to namesake Buffon as Italy’s No.1 – and wonder whether Ravel Morrison will ever fulfil his potential. Elsewhere, Newcastle Enfield entertain Sunderland RCA in the ‘other Tyne-Wear derby’, Colchester keeper Dean Brill reveals the unglamorous reality of a deadline-day transfer and we go One-on-One with Damien Duff. Order it now, then subscribe!
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Gregg Davies is the Chief Sub Editor of FourFourTwo magazine, joining the team in January 2008 and spending seven years working on the website. He supports non-league behemoths Hereford and commentates on Bulls matches for Radio Hereford FC. His passions include chocolate hobnobs and attempting to shoehorn Ronnie Radford into any office conversation.
