Manager of Spurs hails Alli versatility

Tottenham 2 Southampton 1

Tottenham Hotspur manager Mauricio Pochettino believes Dele Alli has the ability to play anywhere on the pitch after the Spurs midfielder played an instrumental role in the 2-1 victory against Southampton yesterday. With talisman Harry Kane sidelined through injury, Spurs’ midfield chipped in to fill the void as Christian Eriksen opened the scoring before Alli slotted home from the spot. Recent England call-up James Ward-Prowse trimmed Tottenham’s lead in a second half which saw Alli temporarily play up front, with the 20-year-old having now taken his season’s tally to 18 goals in all competitions. Despite signing Alli as a holding midfielder from MK Dons, Pochettino has embraced the England international’s versatility. “I saw him at 17 playing at Milton Keynes as a holding midfielder against Manchester United. Always he can surprise me,” the Spurs manager said. “Maybe one day he can play like a goalkeeper or a full back or a centre back. Dele Alli always can surprise and you cannot guess with him. He has an unbelievable personality and character.”