Image Courtesy: metrouk2 | independent.co.uk | guim.co.uk

19-year-old Dele Alli, England’s number 10, has been so far praised by many football pundits for his consistency as a complete midfielder for Spurs. And after England’s win against Germany, many have been comparing him with Paul Gascoigne, who has been described by the National Football Museum as “the most naturally gifted English midfielder of his generation”.

His mother was battling alcoholism
While Dele Alli is living his dream by proving his worth against the likes of Toni Kroos, Sami Khedira and Luka Modric, this wouldn’t have been possible without the contribution of his mother. Dele’s mother Denise Alli had recently revealed that she made a great sacrifice by giving Dele away to his adoptive parents when Dele was 13-year old so that he could fulfill his dream of becoming a footballer. Alli moved to live with Harry Hickford, a defender with Milton Keynes Dons, and his parents. Denise was battling with the problem of alcoholism  and the Social Services were threatening her to take her children away. Realising that her drinking problem is acting as a hurdle for Dele’s dream, she decided to let him live with another family.

Proud of his son
Since then Dele Alli has been proving himself continuously as a worthy footballer from his days in League One playing for MK Dons to his journey to Tottenham. He joined the England national team in October last year to play for UEFA Euro 2016 qualifiers and on his debut, he scored a scorching goal to defeat France 2-0. Denise has been regularly following Dele Alli’s games and she feels ‘super-proud’ of everything his son has achieved.