Alli asks to play where it all began
DELE ALLI has asked Tottenham manager Mauricio Pochettino not to rest him for tonight’s Carabao Cup clash with Watford — his homecoming to Milton Keynes. Spurs were drawn at home for the third-round tie but, because of the delay to their new ground and Wembley being unavailable, the game will be played at Stadium MK. It was there that an 18-year-old Alli helped MK Dons, his boyhood club, defeat Manchester United 4-0 in the same competition four years ago. Alli says his most memorable game, however, was not that one but a 5-1 victory over Yeovil that secured promotion to the Championship in 2015. ‘We were winning quite comfortably late in the game and we were looking out for the other result,’ he said. Of tonight’s clash, Alli said: ‘I’ve bigged up Milton Keynes a lot to the other boys, so I’m hoping it lives up to the expectations. We always have a bit of banter and with the boys from Belgium I say it’s better than the villages where they are from. It will be nice to go back and try to help the team.’ Alli came through the MK Dons academy, having been born and raised in the town, before signing for Tottenham for £5million in 2015. He said: ‘They really helped me progress as a player and be ready for the Premier League. It was sad when I left but I knew it was what I had to do.’ Now 22, the England midfielder is yet to win a trophy with Spurs, but says the Carabao Cup is a good opportunity. ‘We want to win trophies,’ said Alli. ‘We feel like we deserve to, so we have to make sure we put in strong performances in all competitions. We approach every competition like we want to win it.’