Thursday 7 April 2016 16:09, UK
Having spoken exclusively to Tottenham and England midfielder Dele Alli for Sky Sports, Geoff Shreeves gives his account of an afternoon spent in the company of the rising star.
"I'm not going to lie, it's going to be hard and it's going to be a challenge." That was Dele Alli, in July 2015, when asked if he thought he would be sent out on loan or would possibly feature in the Tottenham first team squad.
He totally understood the question mark over his immediate future having been loaned back to MK Dons for the last part of the 2014/15 season.
Since then he has made 30 Premier League appearances for Spurs, scored seven goals, made the same number of assists for Harry Kane, scored a wonder goal on his England debut, scored another wonder goal at Crystal Palace, been lauded by Sir Alex Ferguson, Roy Hodgson and Steven Gerrard among others. He's also earned a new deal at his club, and is short odds to both start at Euro 2016 and be named Young Player of the Year. Fair to say the question mark has gone, and some.
When I remind him of this quote he smiles broadly, as he does a lot during our interview. When you list everything that has happened to him in the last nine months, he confesses: "Yes, it has been pretty crazy, a dream come true, it is one of those ones where I am still waiting to be woken up."
Yet despite his meteoric rise, unparalleled in recent times, Alli is totally unfazed, and very much in an endearing way. Despite his youthful age, in some ways he was already a man when he arrived at Spurs, and the years he clocked up at MK Dons have served him well.
His 10 bookings so far this season are down to two things. "Aggression is an important part of my game and also you can't let opponents think you are some 19-year-old kid they can push around."
Being in his company you get the sense that he takes absolutely nothing for granted but at the same time fervently believes that his success to date is entirely down to pure hard graft and an unshakable sense of belief in his own ability.
He has that rare combination of supreme confidence without a single trace of arrogance. Absolutely none. He simply plays with no fear. Respect for opponents? Absolutely. Fear? Absolutely not.
Alli is keen at every opportunity to praise and thank his Tottenham team mates and Mauricio Pochettino for helping him to get where he is now. In fact, not just thank, but make it abundantly clear that without them he would be nowhere near the heights he is currently enjoying.
With a huge grin he reveals how Eric Dier has taken it upon himself to be his 'big brother' figure, and how there is zero chance of his success going to his head with Dier and other team-mates around.
When speaking about the excitement surrounding his involvement with England and the Euros this summer, he does not get carried away, and is firm and rock solid in making sure he says "if selected".
So is there a single blot on the landscape? Anything that is spoiling his spotlight moment? Surely there must be a price to pay for all this heady success and adulation? There is; he can't wave at anyone anymore!
It all started pre-match in the Capital One Cup last season between MK Dons v Manchester United when the camera was focusing on him. He waved, before doing something similar at training. Of course, it went all over social media with some quite magnificent memes.
Now? "I can't wave at anyone. If I'm in the warm-up or around the ground and spot a friend, if I wave everyone thinks I'm doing 'the wave!'"
With Leicester playing Sunderland before them on Super Sunday, Spurs could take to the field against Manchester United with either the opportunity to close the points gap to four, or it could be standing at a daunting 10 before they have even kicked off.
Two very different challenges, both with title-shaping consequences. Having spent time with Dele Alli, I can't imagine it will affect how he approaches the game.
Watch the extended interview with Dele Alli on Sky Sports News HQ from 6am on Friday, as well as the written interview on SkySports.com platforms from 6am. Tottenham host Manchester United on Super Sunday at 4pm on Sky Sports 1HD.
