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A familiar face returned to Dele Alli's life in the summer after five years away.

Packing up his belongings and moving to Merseyside in 2014, Brendan Galloway's time at Everton finally came to an end with the five-year contract he signed upon his arrival at Goodison Park expiring.

Catching the eye under Roberto Martinez a year after his move from MK Dons, a couple of disastrous loan spells and a number of managerial changes meant that the defender never got the chance to build on such a bright start to his time with the Toffees.

Graeme Jones, who assisted Martinez during his Goodison tenure, handed the defender a golden opportunity as he joined Championship newcomers Luton Town.

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Now playing 40 minutes away from Milton Keynes, it finally meant a reunion with Alli, with the pair having been the best part of 200 miles apart since 2014.

"I keep in really good contact with him now," the 24-year-old told football.london. "Now that I'm based down here he doesn't live too far, so I see him quite a bit.

"We go around to each other's house and do really relaxing things like watching football and we play PlayStation a lot against each other. It's competitive as well!

"We just do the same things we did when we were younger. We just have a real chill out."

Although Alli's profile has skyrocketed since Galloway first left the area, he's quick to point out that his childhood friend has not changed off the pitch.

"From when we were younger growing up and even now, he's the same person, he just wants to have a laugh and a joke," he added.

"He's an honest person, a humble guy and just a guy who's really worked hard and sacrificed a lot of stuff and things to get to where he's got to. I think that shows who he is as a person.

"The media he is maybe portrayed as someone different but as a friend, from growing up to now, you can see that he's the exact same guy."

Alli and Galloway's relationship goes way back and started on the community pitches of Milton Keynes when they faced each other in the local Sunday football league as youngsters.

With Alli playing across his hometown in Middleton for City Colts, his good friend was representing Water Eaton Reds six miles away.

Joining a local side may be the first taste of the sport for many kids but the Tottenham man's football education had already begun on the streets of Milton Keynes.

Born on April 11, 1996, Bamidele Jermaine Alli didn't have the easiest of upbringings in Bradwell, a neighbourhood in the west of his hometown.

Certainly not the poorest of areas due to its relatively modern housing, Alli lived in a three-bedroom council house but the streets by his home were plagued by gangs.

It was a rough and ready place for him to grow up in and definitely kept him on his toes.

His father, Kenny, left the country a week after his birth and that meant his mother, Denise, who has since admitted struggling with alcohol issues, had four children to care for.

Dele had to fend for himself and he found solace away from his family home by playing football in the streets against much older boys.

It was the ideal environment for him to hone his skills and practice what he had been watching on YouTube.

Often found playing in a car park outside his home as he and whoever would be available for a kickabout used the trees as goalposts, another place he often frequented was Heelands Courts. That was his Wembley Stadium as a child.

Making the short trip by himself from neighbouring Bradwell as he weaved through the winding streets and alleyways to reach Heelands sports field, Alli threw himself into games on the courts against older boys. He was desperate to have the ball at his feet.

When you see it today, a vast space with full size goals a matter of yards away, the sports field also boasts two concrete football courts either side of one another.

The first, more than double the size of the smallest one, isn't your typical area for small-sided games. It's open and looks more suited to five-aside matches.

The second court, measuring 23 x 12 yards, was the one where the Tottenham ace could work his magic in a compact space against his opponents.

Not the smoothest of surfaces with a few nicks here and there, the unpredictability of how the ball would bounce in certain places allowed Alli to perfect his touch and technique as well as his array of skills.

The fact the player could hold his own against older opponents in tight surroundings meant he made the switch to playing on grass in organised games with ease.

Having the ball at his feet took him away from the troubles of his chaotic home life as well as the temptation of joining in with those young gangs of Milton Keynes.

Alli didn't have the influence of a strong role model in his daily life, but football and also a change in his home life would eventually deliver that one thing he desperately lacked.

Going to watch some of his friends play Sunday league football for City Colts' under-nines on the outskirts of Milton Keynes in September 2004, he attempted to join in but to no avail.

Coach Mark Walsh had to deliver the news to the youngster that he couldn't take to the pitch because he wasn't registered. However, he offered the carrot of football galore if he turned up to training the following week.

He did just that and it was not long before he became their star player, scoring goal after goal.

Walsh would prove to be an important early role model and influence for Alli.

With no one at home to take him to training each week, the Colts coach would pick him up each time and return him to his house in Bradwell after every session.

Playing for City Colts ensured he crossed paths with Galloway for the first time.

Whereas Alli was the main man for his team as he netted goals for fun, his then rival, who had yet to move into defence, was doing likewise for Water Eaton Reds.

The pair regularly came up against each other in league fixtures and tournaments and tried their best to outscore each other and grab the limelight.

"I first came across Dele as an eight-year-old as we played in rival teams in Sunday league," remembered Galloway. "I was playing against him and we were probably the two best in Milton Keynes so it was really competitive.

"We were trying to see who could score more, trying to hack at each other and from then we started to get along and have really good, friendly competition."

The main thing that stood out for Galloway was that nothing fazed Alli, not so much of a surprise when you discovered his upbringing and the amount of time he spent playing football against the older, unforgiving boys on Heelands Courts.

"He had no fear, he was really competitive, hated losing and he was just willing to put everything on the line to win, score goals and just try and be the best player," added his friend.

Dominating games for the Colts and starring in the local league, it was only a matter of time before a professional club took a chance on him and offered him a trial.

In the end it was a spot of career progression for his U9s manager which also opened the door for Alli's career.

When Walsh took on a position as youth coach at MK Dons in 2006 it proved to be exactly the chance the player needed.

Impressing in a six-week trial with the club, Alli was offered a place within their academy and he would play under Walsh for their Under-11 and 12 sides.

(Image: Catherine Ivill - AMA/Getty Images)

The time between the ages of 12 and 16 is vital for all young footballer, a make or break period in their quest to turn pro.

While some progress and go all the way in the game, many, many others are let go and have to readjust their plans in life with football no longer a viable option.

One person can have a huge impact on a young player and once again Alli was fortunate to find another strong influential person to focus him.

The introduction of MK Dons coach Dan Micciche to his life would prove to be another driving force.

Ironically it was against Tottenham when the coach clapped eyes on him in a game for the very first time.

MK Dons' Under-12 side lost 5-4 in the encounter, but the attacking midfielder stood out for all the right reasons as he scored a brace and showed his confidence in attempting to chip the goalkeeper from 30 yards.

Not a bad way at all to introduce yourself to your new coach.

So what was Micciche's first impression of Alli?

"That he was very creative, very expressive with the ball and he liked to do things that other kids at that age wouldn't even think about doing," he told football.london.

"He had a very creative mind but he had the technique to go with it.

"Straightway I was thinking that this boy is going to challenge me as I'm going to have to make sure that I raise my bar to keep developing him."

Previously rivals in those Sunday football days just a few years earlier, Alli now found himself lining up alongside Galloway with both progressing through MK Dons' academy.

Playing for each other instead of competing against one another, the Zimbabwe-born Galloway soon realised that his team-mate was destined for the very top.

"From a young age I did know," he confessed. "From when I started playing with him at Milton Keynes around the age of 11 he was very skilful, always worked hard, his body, even from that young age, was in good condition and you knew because of how competitive he was and his technical ability that he was always going to make it to the top."

Alli's ability on the ball came from the sheer number of hours he had spent playing and perfecting his technique at Heelands Courts and other surfaces around Milton Keynes.

Micciche recognised the street footballer in him, but that also brought with it a big challenge to the young coach.

Having the confidence to try things with the ball that others in his age group wouldn't even dream of doing, structured training sessions would have frustrated and stifled Alli's off-the-cuff play. Drills had to be tailored so that the youngster could express himself on the training pitch.

"When I think of a street footballer I think of someone who is very good at getting out of tight areas, got different ways of solving problems and doesn't really respond to too many rules or structure," said Micciche.

"When I was putting practices on and games on I had to make sure that they had a theme to them and a thread to them that they allowed enough freedom for people like him to express their individuality."

That individuality came from his time playing against older opposition, knowing he had to stand out to earn their respect, and he continued to join in to help develop his game when he wasn't in training or at school.

(Image: David Rogers/Getty Images)

Spending more and more time outdoors due to his turbulent home life and with the real threat that he could easily take a wrong step and go down the wrong path and become involved in gang crime in the local area, Alli's off-the-pitch life took a turn for the better at the age of 13 as he left the family home.

Moving in with best friend Harry Hickford and his parents, Alan and Sue, in Cosgrove, the move gave him the stability at home that he had long craved for.

It had started with him going back to the Hickfords' house three times a week after training for his tea but as he began spending more and more time there, the decision was finally made by his mother to let him move away permanently.

It would have been the toughest of decisions but has since proved to be the right one given the path he has taken rather than the one he could have headed down.

Even today, the Hickfords remain very coy and unwilling to talk about their involvement in the young England international's formative years, not wanting to crow despite the big part they played.

At 13, Alli now had people in his life who ensured he had a loving environment to grow up in and did everything to help him realise his aspirations.

Gone were the days when the youngster couldn't even afford the money needed for training or had to borrow football boots - sometimes each of which were completely different sizes - as he didn't own a pair for himself.

Team-mates at City Colts and in MK Dons' academy, as well as class-mates at The Radcliffe School in Wolverton, Dele and Harry wanted to play football at every given opportunity.

The lack of a football pitch near the Hickford's house meant that Alan was almost always asked to take the boys for a kickabout as soon as he returned from work and he duly obliged.

Now in a stable family environment six miles away from Bradwell, Alli could focus fully on making the grade at MK Dons.

Looking to accelerate his development at the Buckinghamshire side, Micciche set up a number of different tasks to really challenge the youngster.

Making him play against opposition a few years older than him on occasions, Alli also had to play on different sized pitches as well as starting in teams with one less man.

Alli, as ever, passed the drills with flying colours but it wasn't all plain sailing for the youngster. He was hampered for a spell by the fact that physically he wasn't developing as quickly as his teammates.

On the bench a lot during his time with the Under-13s as he wasn't as strong as the other players of that age, Micciche decided to drop him back from his usual attacking role and line him up just in front of the defence instead.

It was an alien position for the player, given his attacking instincts, but the move allowed him to get regular gametime and Micciche's tactical tweaks to the team ensured he didn't have to worry about physical battles and had time and space to get on the ball and play to his strengths.

Both Alli and Galloway were progressing nicely as they looked to advance to the first team. Whereas the latter was more of a team player and had developed physically a lot quicker, Alli was full of confidence as the street footballer in him continued to shine through.

"Dele was ahead of Brendan in terms of how he played with the ball, but Brendan had more athletic qualities than Dele probably up to 16 or 17," admitted Micciche.

"Dele was a late maturer physically. He could get around the pitch but he lacked strength particularly when he was 14 or 15 so he needed a lot of subtle tactical and positional interventions to help him get on the ball and do what he wanted to do.

"I had to tweak formations and things like that but I think all kids are always at different stages in different aspects of their play and as people off the pitch.

"Dele was a more confident person than Brendan, as he was more introverted and more of a team player I would say.

(Image: Linnea Rheborg/Getty Images)

"Dele was a team player but more sort of individual within that in terms of he dribbled, he wanted to do lots of different roles and not just his own, whereas Brendan just sort of stuck to a task and did his own little bit for the team."

Both thriving under the guidance of Micciche as their development gathered pace, the pair came to the attention of MK Dons boss Karl Robinson.

Their dreams of playing in the first team would come a lot sooner than many anticipated.

Following the roles that Walsh, Micciche and the Hickfords played in Alli's early years, he now had another important figure in his life at the age of 15.

It perhaps came a lot earlier than expected as well.

Still in his final year at The Radcliffe School, the player had caught the eye of first team boss Robinson.

Age was never an issue for the Liverpudlian. Robinson had become the youngest manager in the Football League in May 2010 after accepting the job at Stadium MK a few months shy of his 30th birthday.

He had worked in Liverpool's youth academy prior to his switch to Buckinghamshire. Working with the likes of Trent Alexander-Arnold, Conor Coady and Harry Wilson as youngsters, Robinson kept a close eye on the emerging talents in the Dons' academy in the hope of one day promoting them to the first team.

Alli, unsurprisingly, was one of three players who made Robinson sit up and take notice and he was invited with Galloway and George Williams to train with the first team.

With most children his age preparing to sit their GCSEs and hanging about together at the weekend, Alli was instead now playing football with and against experienced Football League professionals.

He was sharing the same training pitch with former Manchester United title winners Luke Chadwick and Alan Smith, and experienced pros such as Dean Lewington, Darren Potter and Mathias Doumbe.

Many youngsters would be shy and nervous alongside seasoned professionals. That was not Alli's way.

Again that Heelands Courts experience of playing against older children served him well as had the sessions Micciche had organised to aid his development. The attacking midfielder was right at home.

Instead of concentrating on the basics and the safety of passing every time a senior player called for the ball, the street footballer in him naturally came out as did his full repertoire of tricks, bringing backheels and nutmegs to the table.

Robinson was keen to see him flourish amongst the older, experienced players and he let his squad know early on that Alli was rather special and to help him flourish as well as continue to toughen up.

"The manager Karl spoke to us at the time and said that particularly Dele was a great talent," Chadwick told football.london.

"He certainly wasn't treated any differently and he would get kicked around quite a bit but he had a fantastic attitude of jumping back up.

"I remember a few times he'd nutmeg someone and the next time he'd be sent into the air but he'd just jump straight back up.

"You could see that he loved playing football."

What helped Alli early on was that MK Dons' style of football fit him like a glove as they looked to get the ball down and play.

(Image: Pete Norton/Getty Images)

It was the perfect environment for him to show what he could do, but he still needed to adjust and adapt to the higher level.

"The way we always played at MK Dons we got the ball down and played and in the final third we took chances and expressed ourselves, it was probably a good team for him to come into," Dean Bowditch, who joined the Dons from Yeovil in the summer of 2011, explained to football.london.

"Academy football is not competitive enough. When you go into a first-team environment it's about winning but we still played with a freedom.

"For him it was probably a perfect environment to come into. He tried all his flicks and tricks and tried to nutmeg everyone.

"He kind of got lost a little bit because we had adults, grown men pushing him off the ball and tackling him and he didn't really know how to deal with it at first. That soon changed."

Bowditch himself knew what Alli was going through, having been thrust into the limelight at a similar age at Ipswich Town, making his own debut off the bench as a 16-year-old in March 2003 against arch rivals Norwich City.

Bowditch opened up on the difficulties of moving from academy to first team when you're still at school age.

"It's difficult and it's hard because you go into the changing room and they're all grown men and talking about things that you don't really want to talk about," explained the now 33-year-old. "It's kind of an environment that's quite difficult to go into.

"I think Dele settled in really well because he was quiet at the very beginning but quietly confident in his own ability.

"He never tried to take the mickey out of anyone or anything like that at the very beginning as he still had a lot of respect for people as well.

"When I was that age I was timid and quiet and let everyone else get on with what they were on with. I suppose Dele was very similar at that age."

The old Alli-Galloway rivalry was also reignited to a certain degree as they looked to earn their spot in a matchday squad.

As impressive as Alli had been on the training pitch, it was his former rival who looked more at home amongst the first-team squad.

"I remember him [Alli] coming into training with Brendan, who was another young lad who went on to do really well," added Bowditch.

"At the time out of the two I would have said that Brendan was the one who I thought would go on to do more just because he was a left-back who used to bomb it up and down.

"He was exceptional for someone such a young age, whereas Dele got lost a bit in the middle of the park."

It was Galloway who made his debut for the senior team first, making his competitive bow at just 15-years-old in the FA Cup first round win over Nantwich Town in November 2011 as he replaced Chadwick with 11 minutes left.

Alli was also part of the squad at Stadium MK that day but Robinson resisted the temptation of handing him his debut despite the hosts running riot against their lowly opposition.

It was a long way from those Sunday league matches as the pair took their first steps on to the big stage together. They were inseparable as they travelled around the country with the squad.

"It was really good," admitted Galloway. "From playing against each other when we were younger, joining at the same time, travelling with the first team when we were 15 or 16, we both travelled away with the first team and we were always in the hotel together.

(Image: Michael Regan/Getty Images)

"It was really good to be with one of your best mates in football.

"From around 16 as we were around the first team in that time, we obviously spent a lot of time together, even though we did before, but then it was away games, hotels we were always together."

Restricted by his slower physical growth, Alli would have to wait a further 12 months to make his debut for the club and, just like Galloway, it came in the grand old cup competition as the 16-year-olds were paired against Cambridge City.

However, it wouldn't just be the duo who would make the short trip across to the university city as best friend Hickford was also called upon by Robinson.

It was a family affair at the City Ground as Alan and Sue Hickford, three years after first taking Alli into their home, made the journey in hope of seeing both their boys take to the pitch.

Once described as "phenomenal people" by Robinson for guiding and supporting the youngster after such a tough upbringing, the amount of hours Alan had spent kicking the ball about with the young duo after returning from work was about to pay off.

While Hickford wasn't brought on as MK Dons looked for an opener, the manager summoned Alli in the 64th minute to help them find the breakthrough.

In true Alli style he made an immediate impact and his first touch in senior football was one to remember.

Collecting the ball in the middle of the park, he produced a sublime backheel to find one of his teammates but it's fair to say that it didn't go down that well with his boss.

"I was going to throttle him!" said Robinson of that 0-0 draw. "I can't say what I said but it was along the lines of 'the cheeky little something or another'.

Whereas most debutants would be just looking to find feet with their first pass in senior football, it was the street footballer in Alli coming out.

It was to get even better for the youngster 11 days later as he was handed his full debut for the Dons in the FA Cup replay between the sides.

Progressing through to the second round of the competition with a convincing 6-1 win, he netted a stunning first goal in senior football as he found the net from 25-yards with a thunderous strike.

Replaced by Galloway moments later, the defender reflected on his friend's debut to remember at Stadium MK.

"I remember it well," said the defender. "When your friend makes his debut, and makes it in such a confident way at 16, from then you just knew he was destined for the top.

"I remember that strike as a goal of the season."

As tempting as it was for Robinson to carry on playing Alli over the remainder of the season given his electric start to life in the first team, the Rainhill-born manager knew he had a very special player on his hands and decided to keep him out of the limelight and away from the prying eyes of Premier League clubs.

The youngster only appeared in a further five games in the 2012/13 campaign, with only two of those coming in League One.

It was the following season when Alli really came to the public's attention under Robinson as he took his game to a whole new level.

"The first year he was involved in the first team, it was sort of like half a season and he made a lot of mistakes which I suppose would have cost us points every now and then, but we could all see he had something," admitted Bowditch.

(Image: Pete Norton/Getty Images)

"He had that little bit of arrogance about him as well, especially when he got more games and was like 'actually I am quite good'.

"He came back after the summer and he was a completely different player, completely different person and had a completely different physique.

"He just went from a young boy to a young man. At that point he started tackling senior pros, going past people and running through people.

"His biggest attribute has always been his running, late running into the box and his fitness is just incredible.

"At that point we all looked at each other as senior pros and were like 'this kid is pretty good'."

A hat-trick in a 3-1 win away at Notts County was the standout highlight of his 2013/14 season, with the player, once again, taking it up another level or two the following year.

Premier League clubs were now sniffing around and he looked destined to head to Liverpool after a meeting with then manager Brendan Rodgers in 2014.

The deal never materialised, with talk later that a missed meeting with his hero Steven Gerrard - who had been sleeping - playing its fateful part.

Alli instead signed on the dotted line for Tottenham six months later as Mauricio Pochettino made a rare move in the winter market.

Rather than taking him to White Hart Lane immediately, it was agreed that Alli would remain at MK Dons on loan until the end of the campaign to continue his development.

Finishing the year with an impressive 16 goals in 44 games, he helped the club gain promotion to the Championship as they finished second behind Bristol City.

"I think he was always going to play at a really high level," confessed Chadwick. "I was quite surprised at how quickly he achieved that as he went to Spurs and came back on loan to MK.

"I remember I was on holiday and I was watching him play in pre-season for Spurs and they were playing Real Madrid and he was just running the show.

"He knocked it through Luka Modric's legs and I thought that he might come through early.

"His breakthrough season was something special that's for sure."

Alli's move to north London at the tender of 19 saw yet another pivotal figure arrive in his life in the shape of Pochettino.

However, the player was in for a shock when he finally got to meet his new boss for the first time on the training pitch.

The Argentine wasn't at Hotspur Way when Alli first visited in early 2015 and it wasn't until pre-season when they came face-to-face.

Doing some work alongside Pochettino's trusted assistant Jesus Perez, the coach said something to the new signing that startled him.

"It was really hard and I didn’t know what he thought of me," Alli later admitted.

(Image: GEOFF CADDICK/AFP via Getty Images)

"The first proper one-on-one was with Jesus. They were speaking in Spanish and then Jesus said to me: 'He didn’t like you...' or similar.

"The boss was staring me in the eye to see how I reacted. I was speechless!

"He paused for like a second, and he said '...but now he loves you.'"

Expected to be on the periphery of the first team following his move from hometown club MK Dons, Alli played an integral role for the Lilywhites in his first season in the capital as they pushed Leicester City close in the title race.

Working under the guidance of Pochettino enhanced Alli's game and five months after his last appearance for the Dons he was appearing on the international stage for England.

The duo's relationship wasn't without their ups and downs as the attacking midfielder was often found in the manager's office, with Pochettino warning him about a lack of effort shortly after his move to the club.

This wasn't just your ordinary relationship between manager and player though, there was a paternal bond of sorts and a clear affection between the two but Pochettino also had to be tough and lay down the law.

What certainly helped Alli was the fact that his boss had been there and done it himself at such a young age in Argentina and knew exactly what he was going through.

In Brave New World, the manager's book published in 2017, the 48-year-old outlined how he managed his player on the training pitch.

"A year ago you could yell at Dele during a session," he revealed. "But now you have to strike a different tone.

"You have to deal with them more sensitively, grant them the odd privilege that would have been impossible before. It is a very delicate balance.

"The danger remains that he’ll forget what has got him to this point," he added. "I’ve had to repeat that to him this season.

"The other risk is whether those around him know how to treat a top-level professional.

"His WhatsApp photo of a cartoon of a boy surrounded by people who all want a piece of him suggests that he needs to be surrounded by the right people."

His management of Alli, as well as the rest of the young squad, was clearly working as Spurs consistently challenged towards the top of the league with the ex-MK Dons ace making an instant mark on the Premier League.

Netting a respectable 10 goals in his first season for the club, he hit 22 the following campaign as the Lilywhites departed White Hart Lane in style with the youngster more than playing his part.

With every high, especially ones so rapid, comes a low and that's what Alli has gone through since.

Returning from the 2018 World Cup having helped England progress to the semi-finals for the first time since Italia 90, his form started to tail off and the goals unfortunately dried up as he could only chip in with seven.

Injuries played a big part as a thigh issue, fractured a hand and more problematic, a recurring hamstring injury, saw him miss a total of 22 games for the Lilywhites as they finished the season in the Champions League final.

Alli's was going through the toughest period in his short career and what was to follow a few months later would turn his life upside down.

Spurs were unable to build upon the foundations of reaching the final of Europe's elite competition for the first time and Pochettino was to pay the ultimate price for their disastrous start to the 2019/20 campaign as Daniel Levy made the brutal decision to part company with the Argentine.

The departure of Pochettino hit Alli hard. He was more than just a manager to Alli and many of the younger players in the Spurs squad as he forged a family at the club from the mess he inherited upon his arrival in 2014.

Stunned by the news of the manager's dismissal late that evening, the England international contacted him and the following morning visited Pochettino at his house alongside teammates such as Harry Kane and Eric Dier.

Alli is believed to have been in tears as he spent hours in his now former boss' company.

Speaking to the press a few days later ahead of the Champions League encounter against Olympiacos, he spoke candidly about Pochettino's exit and outlined the role he had played in his career since first arriving from MK Dons in 2015.

"It’s clear to everyone how much Poch meant to the players," he said. "Being here for nearly five years he has seen me grow as a person and helped me a lot.

"I came here as an 18-year-old, new to it all and I’ve been through a lot of ups and downs here but he’s helped me through it all. I can’t thank him enough.

"I felt it was important as soon as I saw the news. I was very upset but I tried to get in contact with him and the next day I went to see him.

"It was just a conversation between two friends. He has helped me through a lot – I’ve seen him more than I see my own family in the last five years, so it was very tough.

"But this is football and things change all the time so we know what we have to do. We have a job to do, we have to move forward.

"But for sure he is someone I’m going to stay in contact with. It will be different because he’s not the manager but he’s an amazing person and helped me so much throughout my career - not just in football but in life as well."

Starting to show glimpses of his best form in the final few weeks of Pochettino's reign, the appointment of Jose Mourinho seemed to work wonders for the player as he registered four goals and two assists in his first five games under the experienced boss.

Going through a bit of a dry patch after his glorious Boxing Day goal against Brighton & Hove Albion, his next goal arrived in the late 2-1 win over Norwich City in January.

Former MK Dons teammate Bowditch was in the crowd that evening and he noticed something about Alli that some fans may have missed.

"I watched the game against Norwich and what really impressed me, and I don't think many people see it, was he was actually starting to tell people around him where they need to be and where they need to go. He's starting to become a leader," said the Stowmarket Town man.

"Dele has always been the young one who has done his own little thing, but now he's telling people what to do and that really impressed me.

"He's still a young man but he's now coming into what should be his prime.

"I really hope now he can kick on under Jose and see where he can really get to."

It has been a remarkable start to Alli's career and now it's about pushing on and hitting the heights again for both Tottenham and England.

Dealt a bad hand with his hectic early home life and all of that time out on the streets of Milton Keynes, looking for a game against anyone he could, football was his saviour and it stopped him from heading down the wrong path.

Important people can always have a huge impact, good and bad, on someone's life and Alli has been fortunate in those who have taken an interest in his life.

He and Micciche remain extremely close to this day.

"I went to the Champions League final as I was invited by him and his family," explained the coach. "I went with them and it was a very special, emotional moment seeing him play on that stage and going so close to lifting that trophy.

"I saw him straight after the game and that was perhaps the most emotional moment I've had coaching.

"His family are fantastic people. very grounded, not just with me but with a number of people.

"They've never forget and the people who have been with them through thick and fun, I'd like to think I'm one of those people."

Walsh, Micciche, the Hickfords, Robinson and Pochettino have all played a major role in Alli's life thus far and now Mourinho has the chance to write his name positively into the next chapter of the Tottenham man's incredible story.

His time at Heelands Courts and on the streets of Milton Keynes may seem like a lifetime ago but what he picked up on those concrete pitches made Dele Alli the player and person he is today.