Dele Alli's 2016/17 prove the footballer he can still be

Dele Alli has opened up on the mental health problems he's faced in recent years and there's hope he can return to the player he once was.

It has been an awful few years for Alli following what was an incredible start to his career in the Premier League at Tottenham Hotspur.

After falling out of favour under Jose Mourinho he was sold to Everton and then loaned to Besiktas, with neither of those spells working out.

He has now opened up about all the mental health issues he's faced in recent years, and the sexual abuse he encountered as a child.

In an interview with Gary Neville on The Overlap, the 27-year-old also revealed that he had been addicted to sleeping pills and recently signed himself up for rehab.

He also said that his run in with Mourinho left him considering retiring at the age of just 24, just a few years after he'd become one of the best young players on the planet.

When he reached 21, Alli had been involved in 40 Premier League goals with goals and assists combined, meaning he had more than David Beckham, Steven Gerrard and Frank Lampard put together.

And a compilation of his 2016/17 highlights, a campaign in which he scored 18 times in the league, shows just how good he was.

There is hope now that Alli opening up on his problems and getting the support and help he needs could lead to a career revival for the England international.

"An energised and motivated Dele Alli in the Premier League. Let's hope he gets all the support he needs. Euro 2024, watch out!", said one fan.

"Really hope Dele turns around his career man," added a second.

A third wished him luck saying: "Would love you to succeed at Everton."

Comparing the situation with another player who struggled with addiction, a fourth commented: "He’s still young. Remember Paul Merson hit rock bottom with gambling and made it back into the England team."

"I hope somehow he can start to enjoy football again and just have a decent career," replied another.

We would love Alli to be able to get back to enjoying the game again and then hopefully return to a level anywhere near his best.

Topics: Dele Alli, Tottenham Hotspur, Everton, Premier League, Football, Gary Neville, Fan Reactions

Ryan Sidle

Ryan is a journalist for SPORTbible with over eight years of experience. Passionate about all sports, he mainly covers football and F1 - Daniel Ricciardo once spent an entire interview referring to him as 'Ryan Gosling,' still his proudest moment.

@Sidler28