Victor Wanyama Shares Reasons Behind Ex-Tottenham Teammate Dele Alli’s Fall From Grace

At the peak of career, Dele Alli had the world at his feet.

The MK Dons academy star rose to prominence when he signed for Tottenham Hotspur in January 2015 before joining the club that summer and he was a revelation for Mauricio Pochettino’s team.

Alli’s first three seasons at Spurs saw him conjure up some brilliant football moments while he scored loads of goals and provided many assists, driving the North London club close to Premier League glory twice as well as the 2019 UEFA Champions League final.

In total, Alli made 269 appearances for Tottenham in a seven-year spell and scored 67 goals before weighing in with 57 assists.

However, nearly all of this was achieved in his first five years at the club and in the final two, he was a shell of his former self. Alli fell from grace and struggled for form and fitness while managers, most prominently Jose Mourinho, started to question his commitment.

He left Tottenham in 2022 to join Everton but by this time, the two-time PFA Young Player of the Year was trying to resurrect a dying football career after multiple accusations of indiscipline as well as mental health issues.

One of those who watched Alli closely and saw his quality is former Harambee Stars captain Victor Wanyama, who played with him at Tottenham from 2016 to 2020, and he feels the playmaker was let down by bad company.

“Dele Alli was a special talent and he was sometimes the go-to guy. The game can have nothing and he would just come up with something and win you the game,” Wanyama said on the Obi One podcast.

“But also, the people you are around with, if they are not giving you the peace of mind and you are not in the right state of mind, it is difficult to perform. I really feel for him.”

Alli stayed at Everton for just over one year but still struggled and he was loaned out to Turkish side Besiktas where lasted a season and came back to the Toffees.

He would land a deal with Italian side Como in January 2025 but after waiting until March for his debut, he was sent off following a nasty challenge on Ruben Loftus-Cheek. He would not play again with his contract terminated after six months.

Since then, Alli has not played with clubs seemingly not ready to take the risk but Wanyama feels the 29-year-old still has the quality to deliver.

“I still believe Dele Alli could do the job at this time. He just needs to get somebody who can give him a hug, look after him and get him back to his best,” added the ex-Southampton and CF Montreal midfielder.