Jose Mourinho hit the nail on the head with his warning to Dele Alli during Spurs days
Jose Mourinho hit the nail on the head with his warning to Dele Alli after his nightmare spell at Besiktas came to an end.
Alli joined the Turkish club last summer in a bid to resurrect his budding career following a difficult time at Everton following his move from Tottenham.
He showed a glimpse of his ability during his time at Besiktas, but largely failed to deliver - with the 27-year-old ruled out for the rest of the season through injury.
The former England international has returned to Goodison Park to receive treatment on his injured hip ahead of making a full recovery.
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After returning to his parent club, a video of Mourinho's speech to Alli during his Spurs days resurfaced online and paints a poignant picture.
The Portuguese boss warned the talented midfielder that he could regret not reaching his pinnacle as he urged him to demand more from himself.
"I am 56 now and yesterday I was 20. Time flies. One day I think you will regret it if you don't reach what you can reach," he tells Alli during Amazon Prime's All or Nothing.
"I am not expecting you to be the man of the match every game. I am not expecting you to score goals every game. I want just to tell you that you will regret it.
"You should demand more from yourself. It should not be me demanding more from you. Nobody else. You. You should demand more from yourself."
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Alli was a revelation at Spurs after his transfer from MK Dons. He forged a lethal partnership with Harry Kane as he helped his side mount a Premier League title charge in the 2015/16 season.
He scored 67 goals during his time in London, notably scoring 18 league goals during the 2016/17 campaign.
But his career has since gone down hill, with Alli at risk of ruining his potential.
Topics: Jose Mourinho, Dele Alli, Football
Nasir Jabbar