REUTERS – Tottenham Hotspur midfielder Dele Alli has the potential to be as good as Juventus star Paul Pogba, according to manager Mauricio Pochettino.
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Pogba was named the youngest member of FIFA’s team of the year on Monday, alongside the likes of Lionel Messi, Cristiano Ronaldo and Neymar.
The 19-year-old Alli, who extended his contract with Spurs to 2021 on Tuesday, has been a revelation for the club this campaign, having netted five Premier League goals in 18 appearances.
After a string of fine performances, Alli caught the eye of England manager Roy Hodgson, who handed the midfielder his first appearance for his country in the 2-0 win over Estonia in October.
“Alli needs to feel free on the pitch and we need to help him improve in different positions because a versatile player like Pogba has a big, big value,” Pochettino told British media.
“A player like Dele Alli, we need to help him to improve, not to put him in a box.
“When he plays like a No. 10 he makes the movement like a striker and when he plays No. 8 or No. 6 he plays like a holding midfielder. He is very clever and that’s his best quality. It’s how he reads the game.”
Tottenham, fourth in the table with 36 points from 20 games, host second-placed Leicester City in the league on Wednesday.
(Reporting by Shravanth Vijayakumar in Bengaluru; Editing by Mark Potter)
