Hotspur HQ
Fansided

Tottenham’s Dele Alli is Wise Beyond His Years

By Alexander Balano

NORWICH, ENGLAND - FEBRUARY 02: Dele Alli (L) of Tottenham Hotspur celebrates scoring his team's first goal with his team mate Kevin Wimmer (R) during the Barclays Premier League match between Norwich City and Tottenham Hotspur at Carrow Road on February 2, 2016 in Norwich, England. (Photo by Stephen Pond/Getty Images)
NORWICH, ENGLAND - FEBRUARY 02: Dele Alli (L) of Tottenham Hotspur celebrates scoring his team's first goal with his team mate Kevin Wimmer (R) during the Barclays Premier League match between Norwich City and Tottenham Hotspur at Carrow Road on February 2, 2016 in Norwich, England. (Photo by Stephen Pond/Getty Images) /
facebooktwitterreddit

Tottenham’s teenage sensation, Dele Alli, has only one goal on his mind and that’s to see Tottenham win rather than having a good season himself.

It’s very rare (or hopefully that’s the case) to see professional athletes praise their own individual efforts in a team-oriented sport. Then again, not many 19-year-old kids — in general — are humble enough to forego praise on themselves in favor of putting others before them instead. Like a sports team or a work environment.

In Dele Alli’s case, it’s easy to say that he’s doing great this season. Well beyond anyone’s expectations after making the jump from League One to the Premier League and having a spectacular season for both club and country. But yet he has decided to shrug off the praise in favor of a single goal: to make sure Tottenham keep winning.

Related Story: Dele Alli Continues to Help Spurs' Title Chances

While every fan and pundit continues to hail the young England international to continue his superb form with Tottenham and England, these things have honestly seemed very little to him.

Sure he doesn’t mind the praise he has gotten, but Alli is more interested in wins only.

“The most important thing is that we’re winning games,” Alli, speaking to the club’s official website (quotes via the London Evening Standard).

“It doesn’t matter who is getting on the scoresheet or who is setting up the goals as long as we’re getting three points.”

Even in a season where he has scored seven goals (second behind Harry Kane) and registered 11 assists in all competitions (first on the team), to put the football club in front of himself — which is very common in sports as a whole — still shows how mature Dele Alli is for a 19-year-old kid.

LONDON, ENGLAND - FEBRUARY 06 : Dele Alli of Tottenham Hotspur during the Barclays Premier League match between Tottenham Hotspur and Watford at White Hart Lane on February 6, 2016 in London, England. (Photo by Catherine Ivill - AMA/Getty Images)
LONDON, ENGLAND – FEBRUARY 06 : Dele Alli of Tottenham Hotspur during the Barclays Premier League match between Tottenham Hotspur and Watford at White Hart Lane on February 6, 2016 in London, England. (Photo by Catherine Ivill – AMA/Getty Images) /

Not only that, but in football, a sport where an entire country is always looking for the next big thing to represent their nation with pride from future star players, Dele Alli has managed to keep things simple.

It’s just a one-game-at-a-time mentality for the youngster in a pretty hectic season as a whole for both club and coutnry.

And with England facing Germany today (Saturday, March 26th) and Netherlands on March 29, once the international break is over Tottenham and Dele Alli will be back on the grind to overtake Leicester City who remain five points ahead.

More from Hotspur HQ

Although, it’s still just about Tottenham themselves and not worrying about the Foxes despite a close chance of catching up with seven games remaining in a year where any team can beat anybody.

“We need to keep up the good form. We’ve got Liverpool when we get back which we’ll now go into with a good win behind us,” Dele Alli continued.

“It’s got to that stage now where we’re just worrying about ourselves.”

“There are so few games left we just need to concentrate on winning every game and not to worry about what else is happening around us.”

The road to May will be difficult for Tottenham with a three-game stretch that sees Spurs take on Liverpool (away), Manchester United (home) and Stoke City (away) once March closes and April begins.

Comparing this to Leicester’s first three games when the Premier League returns: Southampton (home), Sunderland (away) and West Ham (home), it will seriously be the final month of the season that could swing the balance one way or the other.

Next: New Contracts Signal Shift Tottenham Aspirations

Second place this season wouldn’t be a bad result, but if Tottenham come oh so close — the closest they’ve been to Leicester have been by two points before letting a win over West Ham and Arsenal slip past them.

Then it would be painful at first to see Tottenham have their first league title in 55 years within their grasp, instead go to the Foxes who have been equally good or even better than Spurs.

Home/Tottenham News