Dele Alli Told To Retire At The Age Of 25 If He 'Doesn't Love' Football Anymore

Dele Alli has been told to retire at the age of just 25 if he no longer loves football by former Liverpool forward Stan Collymore.

Alli has made an underwhelming start to life at Everton after joining the Premier League strugglers from Tottenham in January in a deal worth up to £40m.

Alli looks a shadow of the player that impressed for Spurs under Mauricio Pochettino and he is yet to start a match under new Everton manager Frank Lampard.

Former England international Collymore says Alli now has “serious questions” to answer and has urged him to consider retirement if he no longer has a passion for professional football.

Writing in his column for The Mirror, Collymore said: "Dele needs to answer some serious questions, for himself, no one else.

"He has to ask: Do you want to play professional football, or are you not cut out for it?

"Dele Alli may decide he doesn't love it anymore. Go and find something you are passionate about, and don't cheat the game by going on a circus around other Premier League clubs.

Alli is yet to start a match under new Everton boss Frank Lampard (Image: PA)

"He'd be cheating the fans and clubs and managers of those clubs.

"He's gone from the next golden midfielder in Europe, to people asking if he is still a Premier League player.

"The answers can only come from Dele.

"Look in the mirror and be honest: Do you want to be a pro or not? Don't drift for another five years because that would be a crime against his ability."

Alli joined Tottenham from MK Dons in 2015 as an 18-year-old and would go on to become a key player for the side under Pochettino.

Alli looks a shadow of the player that excelled for Tottenham under Mauricio Pochettino (Image: PA)

He was part of the team that finished second in the Premier League in the 2016-17 season, and also helped Spurs reach the Champions League final in 2019.

But after seeing his career stagnate at Tottenham in recent seasons, Alli joined Everton on a two-and-a-half-year contract in January.

There were hopes he would rediscover his best form at Goodison Park but that has so far failed to materialise.

Collymore believes Alli should consider if he still has the passion for the game and says he could follow in the footsteps of former world tennis number one, Ashleigh Barty, who recently walked away from her sport at the same age as Alli.

"Maybe he needs to have an Ash Barty moment, " added Collymore.

"So many tennis players and swimmers get to their mid-20s and think they've been doing sport for years. They ask: why put myself through it? It's not important anymore."

Topics: Dele Alli, Tottenham Hotspur, Everton, Football, Premier League, Transfers

Rory O'Callaghan

Rory O'Callaghan is Editorial Lead at SPORTbible. He has previously worked for Sky Sports News, MailOnline and Reach covering football, cricket, boxing and MMA. Tested daily as a Liverpool fan in a Manchester office.

@rory_ocallaghan