Dele Alli's former team-mate Kieran Trippier suggested the sacking of Mauricio Pochettino at Tottenham Hotspur sparked the stark decline of the midfielder. Having played together for four years at Spurs, the Newcastle defender previously offered up his theory on why the 28-year-old's career has nosedived since the departure of the ex-Spurs boss.
While Alli remains hard at work in an attempt to return to the top level of football, currently training with Everton despite not having a contract with Sean Dyche's side, the midfielder reportedly suffered a muscle strain in October before a hamstring injury last month. It's been over 18 months since his last match, which came during his loan spell with Besiktas in the 2022/23 campaign.
Once heralded as a cornerstone player for England to build around, Alli's fall from grace became noticeable when Pochettino was fired in November 2019 and replaced by Jose Mourinho, just six months after Spurs lost 2-0 to Liverpool in the Champions League final.
In an interview with Under The Cosh, Trippier - who left Spurs in July 2019 to sign for Atletico Madrid - spoke about Alli's close relationship with Pochettino during their time in north London. He said: "Poch was brilliant with Dele to be fair and Dele was flying at Tottenham.
"It's one of those where I left and went to Atletico Madrid and he was there for two years after. But even during my last season there he was flying, he's a great lad, but Poch was brilliant with him."
In the last 18 months of his Spurs career, Alli became a bit-part player under Mourinho and future managers Nuno Espirito Santo and Antonio Conte, where he scored just five goals in 47 games across all competitions.
A mid-season loan move to Everton followed in 2021 and he went on to join on a permanent move a year later. His on-pitch struggles continued at Goodison Park, where he played just 13 times before he was shipped to Besiktas on loan with an option to buy.
His struggles continued in Turkey and he returned to Everton in April 2023 after picking up an hip injury and he's since not played a game for the club after his deal expired at the end of the last season. Despite being out of contract, he's continued working at the Toffees’ training ground in a bid to earn a new contract.
Should Alli prove his fitness and somehow find a return to the form he showed in his early years at Spurs, Everton will certainly have a player on their hands. The Englishman's quality would no doubt prove to be a massive help with the Blues currently sitting 15th in the Premier League table with just two wins in 13 games - but it's an if that grows bigger by the day.