Steven Gerrard has said he was disappointed Liverpool didn't sign Tottenham youngster Dele Alli.

The Reds were linked with Alli during the summer of 2014, but a transfer didn't materialise and Spurs struck a £5million deal for the youngster the following January.

Alli penned a five-and-a-half-year deal with the north Londoners before returning to MK Dons for the remainder of the 2014/15 season.

The 19-year-old eventually joined up with the Tottenham squad during the summer and has since forced his way into first-team reckoning at White Hart Lane, scoring twice in nine starts.

Alli earned his first England call-up last month and retained his place in the squad for November's international friendlies. He was then handed a first start by Roy Hodgson for the visit of France, scoring past club team-mate Hugo Lloris with a rasping strike to put the hosts on course for victory.

Qarabag vs Tottenham - player ratings 12 show all Qarabag vs Tottenham - player ratings 1/12 Hugo Lloris: 6 The Frenchman was a spectator for most of the first-half but provided a safe pair of hands on the occasions he was called into action. Scott Heavey/Getty Images 2/12 Kieran Trippier: 5 The full back rolled his ankle early on but recovered to produce a solid performance. However, his display was not devoid of errors and he will need to do more to put Walker under pressure. Dean Mouhtaropoulos/Getty Images 3/12 Toby Alderweireld: 6 The Belgian's passing was superb. He was rarely troubled by the Qarabag attack but Chelsea will provide a much sterner test of his abilities. 4/12 Jan Vertonghen: 6 The central defender was given both freedom and space on the ball, which he gladly took. Operating almost as a midfielder at times, he stroked the ball around well. Clive Rose/Getty Images 5/12 Ben Davies: 5 Not the Welshman's best night. With the onus on him to attack he didn't produce a display that will have been worthy of dislodging Danny Rose. Dean Mouhtaropoulos/Getty Images 6/12 Eric Dier: 6 The midfielder's work was not the most eye-catching but it was valuable nonetheless. His presence in the centre of the park ensured the hosts could not control the midfield battle. Endless energy. 7/12 Ryan Mason: 5 Unloaded a couple of dangerous shots from long range but was well below his best. The midfielder will not win his place back in Tottenham's side on a regular basis if he produces performances like this. 8/12 Dele Alli: 7 A bright spark on an uninspiring night, the 19-year-old thrived in the number 10 role and proved to be a constant menace for the Qarabag defence. His presence will be missed against Chelsea. Richard Heathcote/Getty Images 9/12 Christian Eriksen: 6 The Dane had a mound of bodies to break down but eventually did so with a typically excellent delivery from a set piece. 10/12 Heung-min Son: 6 The South Korean drifted between the lines and asked plenty of questions of the Azerbaijani backline. He was unlucky to see his effort cannon back off the bar and provided a fine flick in the build-up to Kane's goal. Bryn Lennon/Getty Images 11/12 Harry Kane: 7 It was a difficult night for the striker, who worked his socks off, but he finally got his reward late on. The 22-year-old's header was the simplest of finishes but it was no coincidence that he popped up with a pivotal contribution. Bryn Lennon/Getty Images 12/12 Tom Carroll: 5 Introduced for Mason but missed a chance to edge ahead of his compatriot in the pecking order ahead of the Chelsea game. 1/12 Hugo Lloris: 6 The Frenchman was a spectator for most of the first-half but provided a safe pair of hands on the occasions he was called into action. Scott Heavey/Getty Images 2/12 Kieran Trippier: 5 The full back rolled his ankle early on but recovered to produce a solid performance. However, his display was not devoid of errors and he will need to do more to put Walker under pressure. Dean Mouhtaropoulos/Getty Images 3/12 Toby Alderweireld: 6 The Belgian's passing was superb. He was rarely troubled by the Qarabag attack but Chelsea will provide a much sterner test of his abilities. 4/12 Jan Vertonghen: 6 The central defender was given both freedom and space on the ball, which he gladly took. Operating almost as a midfielder at times, he stroked the ball around well. Clive Rose/Getty Images 5/12 Ben Davies: 5 Not the Welshman's best night. With the onus on him to attack he didn't produce a display that will have been worthy of dislodging Danny Rose. Dean Mouhtaropoulos/Getty Images 6/12 Eric Dier: 6 The midfielder's work was not the most eye-catching but it was valuable nonetheless. His presence in the centre of the park ensured the hosts could not control the midfield battle. Endless energy. 7/12 Ryan Mason: 5 Unloaded a couple of dangerous shots from long range but was well below his best. The midfielder will not win his place back in Tottenham's side on a regular basis if he produces performances like this. 8/12 Dele Alli: 7 A bright spark on an uninspiring night, the 19-year-old thrived in the number 10 role and proved to be a constant menace for the Qarabag defence. His presence will be missed against Chelsea. Richard Heathcote/Getty Images 9/12 Christian Eriksen: 6 The Dane had a mound of bodies to break down but eventually did so with a typically excellent delivery from a set piece. 10/12 Heung-min Son: 6 The South Korean drifted between the lines and asked plenty of questions of the Azerbaijani backline. He was unlucky to see his effort cannon back off the bar and provided a fine flick in the build-up to Kane's goal. Bryn Lennon/Getty Images 11/12 Harry Kane: 7 It was a difficult night for the striker, who worked his socks off, but he finally got his reward late on. The 22-year-old's header was the simplest of finishes but it was no coincidence that he popped up with a pivotal contribution. Bryn Lennon/Getty Images 12/12 Tom Carroll: 5 Introduced for Mason but missed a chance to edge ahead of his compatriot in the pecking order ahead of the Chelsea game.

And Gerrard believes Alli is further ahead in his progression than he was at 19.

"He looks ahead of me as far as England games and appearances are concerned. He's got more experience because he came through at MK Dons which has helped him progress and make the impact he has done at Tottenham," Gerrard told BT Sport.

He's a very exciting player; We'll have to see how his career works out but he's got all the tools to become a top player domestically, but also in EUrope as well.

"I was acutally disappointed Liverpool didn't sign him.

"I thought he was certainly a player Liverpool might've tried to go for, especially with me coming to the end. He's certainly a player that could play for Liverpool for 15 years, he's got that ability."

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