Sean Dyche reveals ‘clear-minded’ Dele Alli has taken on new role at Everton

Everton boss Sean Dyche has revealed that Dele Alli has taken on a new role as the midfielder continues his recovery from injury.

After his Tottenham Hotspur career came to a standstill, Alli decided to leave North London for Everton back in January 2022.

However, the 27-year-old failed to rediscover his best football during his time with the Toffees and spent the majority of the 22/23 season on loan at Turkish Super Lig side Besiktas.

Earlier in the year, Alli revealed his struggles with mental health during an emotional interview with Gary Neville on The Overlap.

Last month, the midfielder revealed that he has suffered a new injury setback but vowed to return stronger than ever.

Speaking in a recent interview, Everton boss Dyche revealed that Alli has become a makeshift coach.

As per the Daily Mail, Dyche said: “I don't think he would mind me sharing that there probably was a period when (his career) was drifting for him.

“He had a lot going on. Once that came out, it has allowed him the chance to focus on his football and he has been very involved in terms of absorbing.

“He can't get out on the grass with us yet but he is looking at it and he is absorbing what the input from myself and the staff has been.”

He added: “He is clear-minded now. It was very difficult what he was going through, of course. We know that. But he is very willing to share, give an opinion.

“It's a case of us having a coffee in the canteen. You'll say: ‘Hey, Dele, how is it going? What are your thoughts?’ He'll point out little things. ‘I thought that, I thought this.’ It's just a natural combination where we like players to share a view.

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“It's a nice knock-on effect that you can share something with the group. You can say: ‘I was chatting with Dele the other day and he said this really important thing.’ We were clear-minded when we were talking about direct football - not just kicking the ball forward.

“He said it was very similar to when Pochettino first went in at Tottenham. He used to talk about it all the time. He seems to me to be very secure in himself. He's more than happy to share what he is thinking. These are amazing things he's experienced. People, sometimes, lose sight of that.”

Everton endured a tough start to the 23/24 season but are unbeaten in their last three matches after beating West Ham and Burnley whilst drawing with Brighton.

The Toffees are back in Premier League action this weekend as they take on Crystal Palace at Selhurst Park on Saturday afternoon.