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When Dele Alli stepped on the pitch at Como on March 15, 2025, two years after his last professional football match, it wasn’t with the swagger of the 20-year-old who once stunned Real Madrid eight years ago, but with the hesitation of a player carrying more than past injuries. 

That was not a comeback, nor was it a modest affair for a man who had a glorious football career behind him and uncertainty right ahead.

Years ago, Dele Alli was English football’s next big thing; his rise to the top of the English football scene was extraordinary, but so was his subsequent downfall. 

However, Dele’s story is not another tired tale of a wunderkind who failed to reach his full potential. Rather, it is a story shaped by trauma, abuse, survival, and the need for healing. 

Right before Dele Alli fell off, he was confident, fantastic, and cementing his name as one of the best midfielders in the Premier League. 

So, what happened to Dele Alli, and how did it all unravel? 

Childhood and Upbringing

Born Bamidele Jermaine Alli on April 11, 1996, to a Nigerian father, Kehinde Alli, and an English mother Denise, Dele Alli grew up in Milton Keynes, England.

For a boy whose father is a Yoruba prince and multimillionaire, Dele’s childhood was anything but privileged. “Times were difficult, very tough,” Denise admitted in a 2016 interview. That tension shaped his strained relationship with his father.

Kehinde met Denise while studying in London. Their five-year relationship ended soon after Dele’s birth, and Kehinde left for the U.S. a week after Dele was born. Denise won full custody of her child. 

But as a single mother to three children from three different fathers,  Dele’s arrival meant the situation turned dire.

Without a traditional support mechanism from either of his parents, Dele Alli, at just 6 years old, preferred to spend his time engaging in unsupervised kickabouts with his peers. 

And that was not without its benefits. Dele Alli found solace in the streets of Milton Keynes, and it was on those streets that he discovered his passion for football. 

Just like with some players, Dele’s passion for the game wasn’t out of a flash in the pan. Rather, kicking balls across the dusty streets of South London was, at first, his own way of outrunning the chaos at home but soon became something more. 

Since he never pursued education with great vigor, for Dele, it was either football or nothing.

Together with his friends, he would walk long distances far away from his estate, where they would use bike handlebars as goalposts on concrete courts. For a child, that wasn’t just passion, it was survival, purpose, and escape all in one.

Breakthrough at MK Dons

Dele’s path towards professional football was quite unusual. While many kids entered the system at the age of five, Dele was a late arrival in the formal football system. 

Before then, he played for Milton Keynes Rangers at the age of 8. A year later, he progressed to City Colts Boys. 

Soon enough, his brilliance with the ball caught the attention of Mike Dove, former head of the Dons youth system, and ex-interim Academy coach Simon Dwight.

“The first time he played here, and the ball was glued to his feet,” Dwight recalled. “Nobody could get it off him, that’s how good he was. Instantly, we said we need to sign this player.’

That was the transformative moment young Dele had long awaited. Compared to other young players at the academy, Dele was of a different breed. He was the kind of player who wanted to be the best at everything.

However, despite his on-field brilliance, his increasingly disorderly domestic arrangements posed a significant obstacle to his football development.

With that, his mother agreed for him to move in with his teammate and friend, Harry Hickford. He remained there for the rest of his time in Milton Keynes.

Staying with the Hickfords, Dele received the much-needed stability his parents failed to provide, and it was for this reason that Dele ditched his surname. 

He had reached the point where he felt no connection with the ‘Alli’ surname. “It was a decision that had to be made,” he said on the subject.

Dele’s decision also brings to mind the situation with Memphis Depay and Virgil Van Dijk. Both players had also decided to ditch their last names, reflecting their fractured paternal relations.

Milton Keynes Superstar

With some stability injected into him from his new home and with the support of the coaches at MK Dons, Dele’s athletic prowess went into overdrive. And by the time he was 16, he was playing for the first team.

Notably, Dele’s first touch in the first team was an extravagant back-heel against Cambridge City in the FA Cup in November 2016. His first goal was a screamer from 30 yards. The 16-year-old prodigy had just announced himself to the English football world. 

One of his most unforgettable moments came in a League One encounter in March 2014, where he scored his first hat-trick against Notts County at just 17. His performance not only caught the attention of top clubs in England, but it also cemented his name as the youngest hat-trick scorer in the club’s history.

With his brilliance, it was impossible to ward off the increasing number of suitors, including Liverpool, Newcastle, and Bayern Munich. It was the 2014/15 season, and with his influence on the team, the Dons could not bear the thought of losing him so soon. 

And so, he extended his contract until 2017. But an extension was not enough to shield him from the advances of bigger clubs. 

During the January transfer window in 2015, Dele Alli signed a five-and-a-half-year contract with Tottenham Hotspur at 18. With performances, it was no surprise when Tottenham Hotspur paid a whopping £5 million for a teenager. 

However, his move to Tottenham was not immediate; he remained on loan at MK Dons for the rest of the season, where he won the EFL Young Player of the Year award in 2015.

Dele Alli During The Pochettino Era

In his debut season, Dele registered a total of 10 goals and nine assists. However, one thing that caught my eye wasn’t the numbers but his raw, streetwise swagger that defined his style of play.

His most mesmerizing performance came against Crystal Palace, where he flicked the ball over an onrushing defender, spun around, and smashed a thunderous volley into the bottom corner. 

That solo effort earned him the award of the BBC Goal of the Season. 

This Dele Alli goal against Crystal Palace from 2016.

A reminder of just how good he was. pic.twitter.com/8udWKrFQsj

— Football Tweet ⚽ (@Football__Tweet) February 22, 2023

By the end of the season, he became the PFA Young Player of the Year and made it into the PFA Team of the Year.

The following season, he registered a total of 18 goals and seven assists across all competitions. His chemistry with Harry Kane made them one of the league’s most feared partnerships. 

Wrapping up the season of excellent performances, Dele won the PFA Young Player of the Year award for a second time in a row, beating teammate Harry Kane to the accolade.

In his third season, Dele managed 14 goals across all competitions, helping Spurs to a 3rd-place finish in the Premier League. That performance was just enough to earn him a spot in England’s 2018 World Cup squad. 

He would go on to start Tottenham’s Champions League final match against Liverpool in June  2019. For most players, that would have been a career highlight. But for Dele, it was an oddly quiet night in Madrid as Tottenham lost 2-0.

Further reading: Read how Paul Pogba fell from grace.

The Mourinho Era

Later in 2019, Tottenham decided to part ways with Pochettino after a run of poor results. What followed were managerial changes that saw Dele repositioned into an unfamiliar role. The system changed, and so did his role. 

The cheeky nutmegs and late runs into the box became rarer. It was clear he was trying to adjust, but Dele was the kind of player who thrived on instincts and freedom. 

When Jose Mourinho arrived in late 2019, he repositioned Dele as a number 10, where he had once thrived under Pochettino. The then 23-year-old responded,  scoring three goals and three assists in his first four matches.

However, that resurgence faded like a match.

Mourinho’s shift to a defensive-minded 4-3-3 favoured midfielders like Lo Celso and Højbjerg. Dele was relegated to the bench, with Mourinho demanding more consistency from the player. 

It was clear that the Portuguese manager believed in his potential, but the constant public criticism ate at the player’s self-confidence. 

Soon enough, Dele was no longer the risk-taking creative force he once was. And in Mourinho’s regimented team, such a player had no place. 

By the 2021/22 season, Dele’s role had drastically diminished. He became an extra, and stats proved that Spurs performed better without him. 

Besides the tactical changes and limited minutes, public criticism from fans and pundits continued to come in week after week. 

In April 2021, Mourinho got the sack, but Dele’s future at Tottenham felt uncertain. However, it would take another season before he finally left for Everton in January 2022.

Dele Alli With England

Long before Dele Alli donned the Three Lions shirt, the Nigerian Football Federation made him an offer, which he declined. Instead, he chose to represent England. 

Dele Alli made his senior England debut on 17 November 2015 against France. He came on as a substitute and fired a 25-yard goal past his former club teammate Hugo Lloris.

Dele had his first taste of major tournament football as part of England’s Euro 2016 squad. At the time, he was central to England’s Euro 2016 hopes.

Although Dele showed flashes of brilliance during the tournament, his performances lacked consistency. This was particularly evident during England’s shocking 2-1 loss to Iceland in the round of 16. 

Dele, like his teammates on the pitch that night, looked lost. He also took a lot of the blame for the timid, turgid performance.

Despite the upset, his continued brilliance under Pochettino was just enough to earn him a spot in England’s 2018 World Cup squad in Russia. 

In Russia, Dele didn’t have the most eye-catching tournament as many expected. But he delivered by scoring in the quarter-final against Sweden to help England reach their first semi-final since 1990.

However, his brilliance with England didn’t last long. Persistent hamstring issues, coupled with inconsistent playing time at the club level, meant he struggled to maintain the intensity and consistency that had once defined his game.

Dele Alli last featured for England in the 2019 game against Switzerland. It was a third-place play-off match in the UEFA Nations League, which England won. 

The Rapid Decline 

After Jose Mourinho left Tottenham, Dele Alli lost his place in the team’s starting lineup. With the team performing better without him, coupled with limited playing time, it was only a matter of time before he left the club. 

In January 2022, Dele joined Everton on a free transfer—fans who were aware of his pedigree as a top European midfielder. They knew about his struggles but opted to hope.

Perhaps a fresh start in a new habitat with a new manager would reignite something. However, that balloon of optimism deflated as the season progressed. Dele made just 13 appearances under Frank Lampard.

In August, he went out on loan to Turkish side Beşiktaş. The club saw him as a marquee signing, and despite the ceremonious welcome from home fans, things quickly turned sour.

Dele scored his first and only goal for the club in September 2022. Soon enough, his inconsistency drew more jeers than cheers from the fans. 

On one occasion, he was booed off the pitch after being replaced just 28 minutes into a Turkish Cup clash in December 2022.

Dele Alli was booed off in the 28th minute for Beskitas last night… 😔

pic.twitter.com/eRhGFbSWVr

— SPORTbible (@sportbible) December 22, 2022

His time in Turkey eventually ended when manager Şenol Güneş questioned his professionalism, stating that Dele was “below expectations in terms of efficiency.”

It was clear Dele was no longer part of his plans. 

In April 2023, fate added injury to insult when he suffered a hip strain, which ruled him out for the rest of the season. After 13 games for Besiktas, Dele Alli hopped on the first flight back to Merseyside.

Dele would not play for Everton through the 2023/24 season. Apart from becoming a benchwarmer, he also sustained a groin injury in December 2023. 

Further reading: Read how Eden Hazard went from world-beater to flop at Madrid.

The Interview that Changed Everything 

Often, there is more to a player’s decline than just a loss of form. For Dele Alli, his decline from the pinnacle of English football to loan spells in Besiktas and Everton was gradual, then sudden.

One moment, he was the next big thing. The next moment, he fell out of favour at his club, lost his place in the England squad, was sold to Everton, and then shipped off to Besiktas, where he was booed by the home fans, before returning to Everton. 

Where had the spark gone? Was it a tactical issue? Or was it a lack of focus?

The answers would come in a bombshell interview with Gary Neville.

The tearful discussion shed light on Dele Alli’s uncharacteristic decline over the past few years. It unearthed the demons he had silently buried since his childhood. 

He spoke of how his mother had no money and how “there were always like 10 guys, like just around, like just in the house”. 

He referenced being around drugs at age seven and being sent off to Nigeria to live with his dad. “It was horrible,” he said. Six months later, he returned to England, where he lived with the Hickfords. 

Dele had the world at his feet, but issues surrounding mental health, excessive drinking, and addiction to sleeping pills all caught up with him at the age of 24.

Dele didn’t mention all he went through at Milton Keynes, but the little he mentioned was enough to paint a picture of chaos. 

“I’m proud of myself for opening up. That was the hardest part,” he said.

Second Wind at Como

In January 2025, Dele Alli signed an 18-month deal with Italian second-division side Como FC.  Although he was still recovering from the hip surgery and fresh off his revealing interview with Gary Neville, this was a fresh start. 

Though Dele didn’t play a competitive match during the 2023–24 season, he immersed himself in recovery and training.

Dele made his return to football after two years in the match against AC Milan as an 81-minute substitute. However, his highly anticipated return under Cesc Fabregas ended abruptly after he picked up a red card for a challenge on Loftus-Cheek.

The poor lad cannot catch a break at this point.

Dele Alli was sent off just ten minutes into his Como debut after not playing professional football for two years.

Kyle Walker pleaded with the referee to not show a red card to his former teammate 💔 pic.twitter.com/n6g3Nw9hJj

— Football on TNT Sports (@footballontnt) March 15, 2025

Dele has not played in a competitive match since that setback. He has remained on the bench, with Fàbregas emphasizing that minutes must be earned in training.

It is unclear when the player will make a return to the pitch. With just one appearance through the 2024/25 season, it is a far cry from the lifeline he had hoped for. 

With what seems like the final nail in the coffin of Dele Alli’s career, Como has decided to exclude him from their plans for the 2025/2026 season.

What’s Next for Dele Alli?

In football, fans, journalists, and pundits often overlook the frailties that sometimes lie beneath top-rated athletes and the mental fortitude required to maintain that level for an extended period. 

Managers are not exempt, as Mourinho did with Dele, famously calling him ‘lazy’ during a press conference and into his office at Tottenham’s training ground in a scene in Tottenham’s All or Nothing series. 

There, he warned him, in front of the Amazon Prime cameras, that “time flies and one day you will regret it if you don’t reach what I think you can reach”.

Dele is now 29, and time has proved Mourinho right. But as Dele told Neville, “The problem was more than that.” After failing to impress at Como, he is now considering retirement at the age when most footballers hit their prime.

What a damn shame.

Dele Alli was English football’s poster boy; a starter at MK Dons at 16, a vital piece of Tottenham’s squad at 19, English football’s first £100 million player, man of the match on his first start for England against France, PFA Young Player of the Year at 20, scoring in a World Cup quarter-final at 22, playing in a Champions League final at 23.

His story is not a cautionary tale of a football sensation who failed to reach his potential. Rather, it mirrors the reality of young boys forced to become men, the weight of unresolved trauma, and the instinct of survival.