Real Dele for Lions’ captain

DELE ALLI is an England captain-inwaiting.

He is the player who can make the step up to the level where the team know they can count on him.

All of the big countries have players like that and Alli (above) is ours.

I suspect Gareth Southgate, like a lot of people, maybe thinks there is a maturity issue with the Tottenham man and that giving him the captaincy now would put added pressure on the lad.

But I wouldn’t hesitate to give him the armband – it’s what he needs now.

Potentially great players thrive with responsibility and the beauty of giving him the captaincy now is that he wouldn’t have the pressure of the same responsibility at Spurs.

Wayne Rooney and Steven Gerrard had the double responsibility and that is a lot of pressure for one man.

But he could enjoy his club football and leave the job to Hugo Lloris, Harry Kane, Toby Alderweireld and Co, then join up with England and revel in the role.