Featured Image Credit: The Overlap/Getty
Topics: Dele Alli, Football, Mauricio Pochettino
Nasir Jabbar
Topics: Dele Alli, Football, Mauricio Pochettino
Dele Alli has ruthlessly hit out at 'fake' managers as he hailed Mauricio Pochettino as the best manager of his career.
In the latest episode of Gary Nevile's 'The Overlap', Alli opened up about his struggles in a hugely emotional interview.
He revealed he became addicted to sleeping pills and admits to going to rehab for six weeks following his nightmare spell in Turkey.
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The 27-year-old also touched on the managers of his career, slamming the bosses that followed Pochettino at Tottenham during the player's time at the club.
But he spoke highly of the Argentine gaffer as he revealed he connected with him on a 'deeper' level.
"Mauricio Pochettino was the best manager and I couldn't have asked for a better manager at the time," he told Gary Neville.
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"It was him and his team, you know, not just him. There was Jesus [Perez], Miguel [d'Agostino] and Tony [Jimenez]. They are amazing people and they're so understanding, and it wasn't like a footballer and a manager relationship. It was deeper than that, I felt.
"I think [Pochettino] helped a lot in that period of my career, which is why it was tough for me when he left."
Alli added: "Because, you know, then you [get] new managers, and it was hard for me to let anyone in at that point and to be open. And I felt like everything was just so fake.
"When people - managers - would speak to me, I just felt like the conversations weren't real.
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"It's hard to explain. It's something like it was more, it was probably more me and in my own head and my own ego.
"You know, I weren't open to let anyone in, and I didn't feel like any of them wanted to really know me on a personal level, which is then tough for me to fully commit and give my everything for them, which obviously had a negative impact on me in the long run."
Alli joined Everton after leaving Spurs, where he spent time at Besiktas on loan. But he's failed to replicate his form under Pochettino, with the player in danger of not living up to his undeniable potential.
Though the 51-year-old, who, of course, is now at Chelsea, plans to call Alli in a bid to 'help' his career.
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Will Alli once again play under Pochettino? Watch this space.