Dele tackles his wild side
DELE ALLI admits his shocking tackle on Brecht Dejaegere could have ended as badly as Seamus Coleman’s broken leg and fully accepts UEFA’s three-match ban.
The Tottenham midfielder was sent off after going in with his studs on the shins of Ghent defender Dejaegere as tempers flared during the Europa League tie at Wembley last month.
After a challenge not dissimilar to the one launched on Republic of Ireland skipper Coleman by Neil Taylor of Wales on Friday, TV pundit Harry Redknapp said: “Dele could have snapped the boy’s leg, ended his career, it was that bad.”
Coleman was not so lucky in Dublin. The Everton player has undergone surgery on a double break in his right leg and is expected to be out at least until the end of the year.
Alli was quick to send his best wishes to Coleman after England’s win over Lithuania and added in subdued tones that following the Dejaegere challenge he was initially worried he had done something similar.
“It’s a shame to hear things like that happening, players getting injured like that,” said Alli. “I feel sorry for Seamus and I wish him a speedy recovery. When you go in for tackles you don’t think something like that would happen. But when it does you feel horrible.
“Like my tackle against Ghent, I was relieved that nothing bad happened to the player. I didn’t go in to hurt him, I went in for the ball but sometimes it can look a lot worse.
“It was a horrible moment, something I’ve learned from straight away. It is not about playing with less aggression, but how I react in different situations is something I am looking to improve.” Republic manager Martin O’Neill visited Coleman in hospital on Sunday night and said: “It’s a major blow, not only for the player, but obviously for his family, people who were at the game.
“Seamus is just beginning to come to terms with it. He’s still pretty down but he said what he does in the next few months is very, very important.
“He’s very strong, he’s got a lot of good people around him and is positive he will be back and as good as ever.”
You just feel horrible when it happens