Escape from the streets and into the limelight – the story of Dele Alli

"I was going to throttle him.

Youth brings along audacity, and Alli had the skills to boot. The youngster's first touch in professional football was a brash, yet precise, back-heel pass to his teammate. For someone as 'English' – read prosaic – as Karl Robinson, Alli's boldness was arrogant, and more importantly, it was unnecessary.

That was back in 2012 (November), against a club which plies their trade in the lowly Southern Football League – which, along with the Isthmian League and the Northern Premier League, forms levels seven and eight of the English football league system. Two years and nine months later, Alli nutmegged Luka Modric of Real Madrid, in front of a 70,000 sell-out crowd at Bayern Munich's Allianz Arena.

Back to present day, the 19-year-old star has established himself as one of the lynchpins in Mauricio Pochettino's Tottenham side, who are currently in a position of strength to win the league title after a long, long wait of 55 years.

Born to a Nigerian father and an English mother, Dele Alli had a rocky childhood. Kenny, his dad, and his mother (Denise) separated a week after he was born. Denise was troubled by alcoholism, and constantly ran into trouble with the Social Services.

In a recent interview, Alli attributed his expressive style of play to the 'street football' matches he grew up playing back in the days with his friends. Yet, it was the streets which gave nightmares to his mother.

“All the kids Dele’s age were on the streets smoking, arguing and robbing. Some ended up in prison. I was worried my son would be tempted by that hood life.

“He was challenging at times, like most lads. He had to change secondary school and never settled at his first school,” Alli's mother said in an interview to the Sun.

“The Hickfords weren’t my friends but they had a nice home and I knew I had to give my son this chance to move on with his life and succeed.

“When he left, there were no tears, just a sense of relief because I knew he would be off the streets and safe,” Denise added.

In the post match press conference, Pochettino accepted that Alli “is a little bit naughty”.

"He's still very young and needs to learn a lot, he came from League One. He's a little bit naughty. But it's good. I like it. I was like that. I was naughty like him,” the Tottenham manager said.

Be it the famous 'Dele wave', the bromance he shares with Eric Dier, his impressive interviewing skills or the hilarious myspace picture – Alli is winning over fans on internet across the world. The fact that he is not afraid to laugh at himself, a trait rarely found these days, makes him one of the most likeable footballers in the Premier League currently.

A lots changed in 5 years 😂😂😂 pic.twitter.com/JLyUDNbxI4

— Dele Alli (@Dele_Alli) January 12, 2016

Of course, social media popularity apart, he has performed on the field. Since making his debut against Manchester United, against whom he gained a lot of attention following his MK Dons' 4-0 win over them in the 2004 League Cup, at the start of this season, Dele Alli has grown in stature.

He established his credentials with a dazzling performance against Arsenal, where he ran rings around Santi Cazorla and Francis Coquelin, which eventually led to the Spaniard being substituted at half-time by Arsene Wenger. It was a moment of triumph that Alli will hold dear for a long time, and although the derby ended in a 1-1 draw, the Tottenham fans went home with the bragging rights.

Initially, the 43-year-old used Alli in the two-man midfield pivot in the 4-2-3-1 formation, mostly partnering his close friend Dier. But like his idol Steven Gerrard, on whom he has modeled his game, Alli displayed tremendous attacking intent. Eventually, Pochettino pushed him up the pitch and opted to play him in a free role behind Harry Kane, and the youngster has prospered since then. Playing alongside someone like Christian Eriksen will also help in his development as a player.

The 19-year-old has already contributed to 12 goals (7 goals and 5 assists) in 20 starts in the Premier League this season, and the numbers are only likely to improve. While the stats are impressive for someone who is still in his teens, it is the manner in which he has achieved them, stands out from the rest.

With his first touch he volleyed the ball up in the air, with his second touch he dinked the ball over the top of Jedinak, and with his third touch he volleyed the ball into the bottom corner of the net from outside of the box.

He is seemingly already a favorite of England manager Roy Hodgson, and most have tipped him to be a part of the Euro squad of England, specially with Jack Wilshere continuing to struggle with his fitness. The Arsenal midfielder's current state is a cautionary tale in itself though. Much like Alli, Wilshere was expected to be the next big thing for England. Yet, eight years since he broke into the Arsenal first team squad, Wilshere has not made the transformation from being a bright prospect to a world-class footballer.

Pochettino will have to protect him from burnout however. Even Alli's hero Steven Gerrard suffered from a back problem as a result of accelerated growth and excessive playing during his teenage years.