Dele Alli has provided a long-awaited update on what he’s been up to since leaving Como in September.
Dele, 29, made just one appearance for the Serie A side managed by former Arsenal, Chelsea and Barcelona midfielder Cesc Fabregas.
Despite signing an 18-month deal with the Italian club, his contract was terminated on September 1, with his solitary appearance lasting just 10 minutes after he was sent off in a match against AC Milan at the San Siro in March.
The cameo marked his first professional appearance since February 2023, when he featured while on loan at Besiktas from Everton.
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The 29-year-old previously documented his mental health struggles during an appearance on The Overlap in 2023, when he told Gary Neville about sexual abuse he suffered when he was just six years old, before he was adopted aged 12.
Dele also claimed he was “molested” aged six, started smoking aged seven and was dealing drugs at eight.
Miraculously, the attacking midfielder still managed to become a professional footballer and enjoyed several successful years with Spurs – winning the PFA Young Player of the Year award twice in 2016 and 2017.
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He signed for Everton in 2022 but was loaned to Besiktas after struggling to stay fit before joining Como.
In 2024, during an appearance on Sky Sports’ Monday Night Football, Dele revealed that he still had aims of making the 2026 World Cup squad.
Dele said: “You know you can set reminders on your phone, I have a reminder at 11 o'clock every day that says, ‘World Cup 2026’. That's my aim for now. I think that people will be like, ‘he hasn't played in a year,’ but I don't care, I know my level.
“The only target I have is the World Cup right now.”
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Given the fact that he is currently without a club and the tournament begins in just 244 days, it is unlikely that the 29-year-old will feature at the World Cup.
But fans were still glad to see what he’s been up to during his time off, with Dele posting a series of videos of him training on his Instagram page on Thursday.
During a number of the videos, he appears to be in Southeast Asia, with the words Bali briefly appearing on screen.
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Several current professionals, including Jack Grealish, weighed in with messages of support and commented with two clapping hands and blue hearts emojis.
James Maddison also commented, while former Everton teammate Ben Godfrey wrote: “Go and get what you deserve. My brother.”
Luke Davies