Contract clause further complicates Dele’s Everton future

There's always a "however", however. If the finances can be worked out, I think there's a gamble worth taking. It is entirely possible that this lad can turn his life and career round. Why not with us?

Let the Dele redemption be our redemption.

If Alli was prepared to accept a pay as you play contract and Levy would take a couple of mill to release other claims then sure. But given his injury problems and how very long it has been since he had a consistent impact on the pitch I think any other financial arrangement would be crazy.

Best of luck to him whatever happens.

Everton has been just what an unhealthy Dele needed most. And now, a healthy Dele might be just what Everton needs most. He turns 28 in April and carries more natural skill in his boots than the rest of our roster put together. And he clearly feels a debt to this club and this manager.

Agreed, a gamble worth taking if practicable.

Levy is the Bean Counter of the bean counters and he is by no means a charity. I feel for Thelwell that he needed to make the call to Spurs to be laughed at for nothing that he has done.

(Hail Liar Bill for another glorious legacy for the club!)

Let's just hope that Dyche has the panache, with Dele getting himself fit enough to pass Gaffer's Day, to play him as an impact sub for 6 more games before the end of the season.

If Dele is deemed fit enough (a high bar in Dyche's mind) and somebody tells Dyche that he can make a substitution before 70th minute of games, we might just be able to see Dele's Everton Swan Song. A healthy (physically & mentally) Dele can still do a job against teams at the bottom half of the league.

I love you both but we've been paying this guy £100k a week for 2 years – during which time he's barely played for us or in Turkey due to injury, fitness issues and poor form. Prior to that, he'd basically been out of form then frozen out at Spurs for 2 years.

The idea we'd paid some kind of fee to re-sign an out-of-contract player, in addition to paying his wages, when we have a threadbare squad, are in breech of PSR again, and the man in question hasn't shown any sustained form or fitness since 5 years ago!!! That just seems like the kind of thing Kenwright would do.

And we are where we are because he ran this club for 30 years. It's a hard No from me.

But if another club were to sign him as a free agent and loan him to us? A club owned by 777 Partners maybe?

It was worth the gamble at the time, but it hasn't worked out and I don't think we will be over-paying for players on transfer fees or wages in the future.

I was hopeful he would come right for us but it didn't happen. I'll be incredibly grateful for his second half showing against Palace...

Who knows, he might end up playing a few cameos towards the end of the season. I hope he does and hope he plays well and scores a goal or two at Goodison.

Sometimes my scepticism queries: Is he definitely unavailable for both of the issues mentioned? Or is it some sort of expensive Cat and Mouse scenario with Levy and Spurs. Surely no-one could be so unlucky with injury having not played since the last Preston Guild seemingly.

As for the mental factor, it was about a year ago since the Gary Neville interview and he seemed to have got all the monkeys off his back. Oh how we could do with him for the difficult season run-in/survival ahead!

On the injury side, a quad tear is a nasty one. Having experienced it myself, it doesn't sound serious but it's a tricky one to come back from. Just when you feel you're okay, you break down again. And again.

It was quicker and easier coming back from the leg and ankle breaks. The ligament damage was a bit trickier. Running in straight lines after 4 weeks but try twisting and turning on a football pitch. No chance.

I wish him well to get back to what he is good at. He still has a lot to offer if he can get his head back on it. And regardless of the finances, I hope that can be with Everton.

The bloke who turned up first day looking like a cross between Snoop Dogg and a tramp, was gash when he did play the (what?) two games, promptly got rissoled by Besiktas, has been injured for two years, etc.

Give us a break. Dele won't have to chug on his balloon to join Daniel Levy in hysterics reading some of the above. You've got to hand it to Daniel, though: has he ever sold a better pup?

Good old, sentimental Everton always wanting to do the right thing but always shooting ourselves in the foot.

Just throwing bad money after bad if we sign a new contract and I sincerely hope that this ongoing struggle has at least taught us something about finances in football.

Sad for the guy but it's not going to happen.

Didn't he have a bad hip injury which is hardly a good sign.

Alli is probably finished, both physically and mentally, as a top-flight player. I thought after Gazza we'd have learnt our lesson.

Dele Alli's problems would have been known and should have showed up at a medical. Showing up at Goodison is a white Rolls-Royce with the eyes standing in his head.

But this final payment on signing a new contract is likely to be the death knell of Dele Alli's career. At Everton, they did try their best, but they were probably working with a deal were payments had already been made.

The final payment is Levy's insurance policy, whatever way you look at it. Everton may have to pay it whether they keep or get rid of Dele to another club.

We have to be realistic, his signing by the club was a gamble, and for the cub it's been a spectacular failure. We are now in survival mode, and we simply cannot afford players on excessive wages who, for whatever reason, are unable to play regularly. Boring it may be but, for now and the foreseeable future, it's simply all we can afford.

In Uncle Harry's own words.

If we get a few games out of him towards the end of the season, then we might have some idea if he is anywhere near what he once was.

I doubt he can get fit to the required level after so long out.

In an ideal world, I'd be happy to see a fit Dele stay with us and see if he can rekindle some of his ability with us. He might feel he owes us as we have helped him out. But loyalty is thin on the ground these days.

The comment... 'working to an individualised rehabilitation programme that has allowed him to stay close to his support network in the Capital.' is interesting.

Dele might just decide that at the end of the day he might prefer to play at a club near London to carry on being close to his support network. I can see him doing a job for teams like Brentford, Fulham, possibly Luton etc.

Is it a good idea to pay £100k a week to a player who hasn't been fit enough to turn out regularly for 4 years? I'm not blaming Dele, I guess he's done his best. It was a gamble that we lost big time.

Why not spend the money on two or three good young prospects who are fit and hungry to boost the squad?

(Ha ha, that's why I'd never get a job in football.)

Sure, he may well reignite his career, but at a club in a position to take a massive risk on a player who's been injured or shit for the last 4 or 5 years. A redemption story like that is rare in football. Even Ross Barkley didn't hit the lows that Dele has hit.

As a complete waste of money, it's on par with The World's Greatest Evertonian's purchase of 200 lawnmowers for Finch Farm.

I followed your suggestion and looked at Wiki and saw the video to do with Harry Redknapp.

What was your point?

It's a business. An employee that can't work would need a sick cert and get sick cert money but Everton pay him full whack.

We need to move on; enough is enough. Oh, by the way, we are skint — getting pay-day loans to keep us going.

From my understanding, Dele is not on loan and will therefore be a free agent when his contract with us expires; meaning, he can sign for any team in the world and Spurs get nothing —unless they agree to restructure the deal with us at much more favourable terms from a blue perspective…

Spurs got rid for a reason and we were the mugs to sign him. Move on.

Now, 2 years on, I feel enough is enough. He is 2 years older than when he came to Everton. He has proven to us all that he is now injury-prone without enduring the rigours of a full Premier League season.

It's a no-brainer. Everton need to stop dithering over this one. Move on!

We have to pay if he signs a new contract but I'm guessing, if he doesn't, he can sign for another club for free?

Surely there's some conflict with the Bosman rule here. A player out of contract is a free agent, free to sign with whoever he chooses, with no transfer fee.

I'm no expert in the Bosman rule but how can this be legal? It's a ridiculous state not just we find ourselves in, but the lad himself.

Alli, in my opinion, if he has any loyalty, respect for how Everton have dealt with him, respect for the fans, who have given him backing and support, the club for paying his huge wages, should get himself free of this deal and sign a free contract with us where he gets paid if he plays for us.

He may never get fit, may never be the player he was, but shouldn't he be trying to give a little something back to this club?

No more needs to be said.

I just can't see it.

I think it's safe to say that, if we did sign Alli to a new contract, it would not be anywhere in the region of £100k per week. It would likely be half that and even then it would hopefully be contigent on appearances and availability etc.

If Alli were to become a free agent this summer, I wonder what his options would be? I could see him going to the MLS or Saudi where he will get paid more for his reputation and have a lower standard of game to hopefully bring himself back to form.

It proves that Harry had contact with Everton during the time of what has turned out to be a dubious deal. Make up your own mind why he would do so.

As daft as this may sound it could very well be that the clause covers us "renewing" his present contract. That would mean negotiating it and having it in place before his present one runs out.

I'd be very surprised if Dele couldn't legally let his contract run out with Everton and then sign for us again and thus avoid Spurs receiving anything.

For the very reason(s) you raise.

Dele pays that fee that is owed to Spurs himself. He's a multi-millionaire and he's been well looked after by Everton and paid in excess of £5M a season since he's been here.

He then signs a contract with a low basic salary but with incentives heavily weighted to appearances, goals etc.

The Premier League should just tell Everton: "Pay what you need to pay to help Dele, for the well being of the player, and it doesn't have to be included in any PSR calculation."

Should we recontract injured players as well as those with mental health issues?

We're a business which should make business decisions. We can choose to make decisions for other reasons but, if we do, then we're responsible for them.

He's not going to forego anything when he can get a contract somewhere else and not think twice about it.

I have had experiences of it myself but coped with it. It never goes away, but with support, you can live with it.

I don't like to talk about it too much but this triggered me. The lad needs support.

There is a duty of care. You don't abandon people because they are struggling.

I'll use an Everton example. We didn't abandon Duncan Ferguson. We supported him when he went through tough times. On two occasions.

Alli has had the kind of financial and other types of support from Everton that practically no-one gets.

How long are we to support him financially?

It's a bit like saying how long do we support people on the health system because of health issues. Mental or physical.

I understand your point Ernie. I'm just counter-acting.

I've just been speaking to one of my neighbours and he shook his head and looked at me like I had two heads when I said that I don't believe for one minute that Bill Kenwright is really dead… but I suppose that's what supporting Everton for all these years has done to me.

The last few months have been an absolute nightmare. If it's true what The Esk has allegedly written (about Moshiri and 777 Partners extending the deadline even though the Premier League now seem to be asking for meetings), then it doesn't feel like things are going to be resolved anytime soon.

Good luck to Dele Alli because, all being well, he must feel like he owes Everton plenty, so hopefully he can become the player he once was once again and this is not something that is going to be easy to achieve.

The thing that always makes me laugh was Frank welcoming Dele Alli at Finch Farm. I think it was on the day Frank joined as manager. Frank said to Dele something on the lines "We did it!"

The best part is watching Dele being shown around Finch Farm. He gives the appearance of not knowing what he's done. I suppose Tottenham's training ground and facilities are far superior to ours.

If Dele Alli wants to repay like he said to Dyche, sit tight for a month after end of June, then give Everton his word he will sign for Everton in August, on a 'pay as you play' contract.

Just a quick change of subject in regards to derby tickets through ticket master.

There is a new post about the derby ticet fiasco an Evertonian has put up on this site, have a read of it if you get chance.

I suspect the "out of contract" aspect simply wasn't highlighted to provoke more of a reaction to the article.

Not sure Dyche will want Dele in any case.

Show him the door for all the sensible reasons we already know about – never mind all of the other reasons we don't know about or can only speculate about.

It isn't April 1st is it?

However, appearances should remain below the threshold for further payments to Spurs and he should be waved on his way at the end of the season.

A gamble that didn't really work out, but he might still make a useful contribution before he goes.

The mental and physical demands are so high it would take him years to even approach that level and, with his injury record, I doubt he will make it to top level football again.

I hate to say it but I would sooner spend the money trying to tempt some of the RS academy kids.

I agree with your interpretation, but this was a £40 million deal with some very complicated clauses agreed to and a basic lack of due diligence.

As you pointed out, he was pretty spaced out when shown around Finch Farm. Even the Everton fans that greeted him seemed to be wondering what they got. I am confident they are not stupid.

It really is beyond a joke on top of everything else this season.

Brendan #56,

Given the nature of the deal, it was likely that Everton could try to sign him when he was out of contract and not have triggered the payment. Alli may be out of contract but Everton may still have to fulfil this newly revealed clause if they agreed to it.

Of course we all feel sorry for him but he has made more money just in his short time at Everton than a lottery winner.

If he wants to sort out his mental demons, then he should use some of his vast wealth to pay for professional help. Football is a business – not a charity.

How we could have used 10% of the shrewdness Levy has shown over the last 7 or 8 years. No players we ever sold or loaned were ever on such terms. We just shipped them out, carried on paying their wages until they departed for nothing or we got a minimal fee.

As someone else mentioned, he will probably want to be closer to London if he does sign another contract, so I think he will be another ghost of a player to go with Sandro, Gbamin and others of the Moshiri era.

The Bosman ruling removed any control which clubs had on players who were out of contract. This "newly revealed" clause, if it existed, would limit an out-of-contract player's freedom to choose.

It doesn't exist... it's mere suggestion to hype an article.

If he becomes fit, and at the right level, play him for six games. He'd be perfectly useful behind Calvert-Lewin.

At the end of the season, we shake hands, without bitterness or rancour, say thank you, and send him on his way.

He's cost us far too much money already. He's not worth the salary that he'll command, and he's certainly not worth giving money to Tottenham, who fleeced us on the Richarlison deal.

Dyche of all people values consistent effectiveness, hard work and mental toughness, none of which this player has. Also, do we really want any more Everton cash ending up in the accounts of Spurs, of all the clubs in the world?

If it's true they want to sign any or all of our three wanted players, I seriously hope we say on your bike we don't sell to the competition (per their alleged Kane to Man Utd stance).

They used to treat Southampton as a feeder club, now they see us the same way.

As for Dele, he's surely finished at EFC.

However, if Dele wants to repay the faith and time the club have given him, he needs to go all Rocky 4. Give up the toys, live in a shed, and become a football ascetic for 5 years.

I'd love to see him come good.

I agree with Sam #2

What I am suggesting is that Dele will be a free agent, but Everton still have a payment agreement clause with Spurs should he join Everton or another club. Dele can join whatever club he wants to… but Everton will have to pay Spurs.

That is my reading of it, but I could be wrong.

Never mind Rocky IV, I'm worried the whole club is about to go Rocky V. Certainly feels like we've had Paulie looking after the finances.

I very much think you're wrong.

So we buy Dele from Spurs and they put a condition in the contract that, if he leaves us after his contract with us is complete and then signs for another club, we pay Spurs a fee?

Noooot very likely at all, is it?

Personally, I hope Dele as an individual regains full mental and physical fitness and may he yet surprise us all in more ways than one... especially vs Arsenal in the last game of the season.

But...

Until that happy day when things turn out well for us both, I'll continue to work on the tried and tested formula about loyalty and footballers...

If you want loyalty – get a dog.

Personally, I find that a bit weird because it implies there is no time limit on this. For example, if he leaves and rejoins us when he is 40 years of age, we'd have to pay up. But that is how the media are reporting it.

The Bosman ruling eliminates fees being demanded for a player joining another club. I can't find anything explaining how it would affect a situation where a player is out of contract, stays at the same club, and his old club want an appearance-based fee.

So either Everton signed the stupidest contract ever, which has no time stipulation during the rest of Dele's life, or the media aren't thinking this through and just making assumptions.

Everton can sign any free agent at no cost. It's no-one else's business or concern.

Why then would Everton have entered into an agreement with Spurs to sign prospective free agent Dele at a cost when we could sign him without paying Spurs anything?

Makes absolutely no sense whatsoever.

That's the way they've done business for as long as Levy has been in charge there. He's a brilliant, ruthless businessman.

John Stones signed for City in 2016 on a 6-year deal. Seven years later, he won the European Cup, ergo his initial contract had expired and he'd signed a new one.

It was widely reported that, at the end of that 7th year, Everton received a £2.5M bonus that was tied to performance elements, specifically the one that said Everton got more money if he won the European Cup with Man City.

On that basis, presumably the Dele deal that was reported to be worth up to £40M depending on appearances and targets would remain in force after the expiration of his initial contract, just as the Stones clause did after his initial contract had ended.

I think it's reasonable to assume that the time limit for the 20 game trigger was the 2.5-year contract Dele signed with Everton.

As a comment above stated, yes we have shown great loyalty for many players who have joined the club and served it well.

We also have a lot of fans with poor memories. The night Son (Spurs) tripped Gomes resulting in his broken leg who was the player whose hand was 2 to 3 feet above his head conveniently knocking the ball away from Calvert-Lewin's head and thus thwarting a winning goal for us?

VAR said it was a normal hand position and we know how well they give us decisions like that.

I hope Dele recovers mentally but he should get no more contracts from us. Over £10M in earnings from us that is not fair to any player in our team or all of the Everton staff at our club.

How has our past loyalty been rewarded?

Did Sugurdsson offer to play for us for a year for nothing? Did Zouma want to stay with us? What about players with other problems like alcohol. We have helped many but we have not seen many thank us for that help and loyalty.

'It now emerges that any new deal he signs would also trigger a payment to the North London club.'

There is no 'maybe' in this statement. The clause could be tied up with the appearance clause to prevent Everton not triggering the payment and then signing Alli free.

If Dele Alli signs for another club as a free agent, it would be difficult to see how a clause would apply.

The Stones add-ons are in force while he's at Man City, they certainly won't apply should he leave for another club.

It's quite possible that if Dele signs a new deal before he becomes a free agent then there very well may be a clause which triggers a payment to Spurs.

If, however, Dele becomes a free agent after 30 June, he can sign for whoever he wants and Spurs won't be due a payment from anyone.

I realize that I was saying in reference to if he stays at Everton.

£100k a week for being on the sick. Most of us would've been sacked long ago.

Get rid ASAP. The fella has had enough chances.

He has been over paid not to play but he's injured, a lot.
I only see him in photos but he seems to be seriously fit in spite of his injuries.

The question really is: How much do we dare to spend signing a player who could answer an awful lot of questions about the kind of Everton we will be watching as we grow into our new selves?

I would say go for it.

But I also believe the decision should be made in the here and now, not the past. What we've wasted on him financially or how badly we blundered in signing him is water under the bridge.

All that matters is: What can he do for us right now? Dyche will make his assessment based on what he sees at Finch Farm, and then Thelwell will make his decision based on what can be worked out financially.

And maybe, just maybe, both player and club can consign their past bad decisions to hell.

No goals in his first 23 league games, two goals in his first 40, three significant injuries. For a year and a half, most Spurs fans thought we had committed a £60M armed robbery.

So he came back in December from surgery and now, finally, he is scoring in buckets. Good on him for sticking it out, for making the necessary improvements in his finishing, for finally bedding in with a very good side. Congratulations and best wishes to him.

But I think looking at just the past 10 games and concluding that we got skinned in the deal is way off target. I thought Thelwell did great back then, especially under the circumstances, and I think so now.

Or one of 777s teams sign him on a free and lend him to us.

ps: I just wonder how much of his salary and medical costs are paid by the Club insurance? I bet our premium is high!!

As for Dele Alli, it is hard to judge, since his persona is either guided by clinic or psychological symptoms, which even professionally is anybody's guess. Hence the look on all our faces would not look out of place amongst the fans who saw Dele Alli get out of his White Rolls-Royce.

When the true deal comes out in the wash as it will, do not be surprised what Everton agreed to.You all can be confident of that.Delli Alli is not going to give a shit and will be on Instagram with photos of his annual jolly in Dubai in Nov.

Surely that would mean paying no fee to the cunning Levy.

Dele Alli's record for the 2 or 3-year period before he came to Everton was there for all to see, the man who dealt with Levy and agreed with the deal and signed it off is no longer here.

What can't speak, can't lie… I think Dele Alli's form since he came to Everton speaks for itself.

I don't think anyone saw him arrive for training in his white Rolls-Royce because he arrived in a black one.

His white Rolls is in LA.

Typical Jerome eh... arguing a black Rolls, white!

Link

I thought Alli turned up in a black roller.

He's now 28, let him leave in June and look to revive his career elsewhere. Regardless of his previous talent, we have no idea if he's able to ever come close to the sort of form he had back in 2017-18. I just cannot see any justification for continuing any sort of financial investment after June, unless it's on a 100% pay-as-you-play basis with nothing going to Spurs.

If he leaves on a free this summer, Spurs presumably get nothing so why should we have to pay them anything if we re-sign him? Seems an odd deal if he's a free agent.

"We can get the best out of him because we are the People's Club and we love to throw good money after bad."

Seriously, Everton, lose this "We're morally better" shit — and that means binning wastes of space like Dele. Just another Shandy van de Meyde…

Seriously, I am having to bin someone in my work team because he's crap. I don't want to because I like him, but I have to for the good of my company and my own job.

Take the difficult decisions, Everton, for fuck's sake!

Although I admire the work that Everton in the Community (EitC) does, I don't like the "People's Club" tag. Never have done. It bought into the "plucky little Everton" brand that developed under Moyes and our now departed Chairman.

Yes, decisions have to be made. Even when you don't want to make them.

The problem with '"The People's Club" tag is that most fans now feel they were sold a pup. EitC is a well-run organisation by workers who always give of their best, now without a self-promoting Chairman, who though in another job, never seemed to leave.

I know of a similar double-barreled 'Professor', an MP and, former Minister of State who was Chairman of a charity organisation. Self-promoting and equally useless. She is in nothing now. Lost the whole lot. The charity organisation never looked back.

Maybe even the region.

And put more into Everton in the grassroots football development.

I'm sorry to say, even after all this time, there are too many dreamers on ToffeeWeb. Mike @ 88 illustrates this for example but he is not on his own.

He says, "But I also believe the decision should be made in the here and now, not the past" still believing therefore that Dele can return to being a good Premier League footballer and take a significant pay cut while at the same time we sort the supposed conflicts with Levy out. Even though Dele hasn't shown the slightest indication he is capable of getting fit and reproducing his form. I dread to think how much money we have already spent on him.

By all means believe there is a way forward with him but being sensible and believing a dream are two different things. The lad unfortunately, I believe, is washed up as a player and it would be a folly in the extreme to waste another penny in trying to rehabilitate him and wipe away his and our mistakes of the past few years. We have tried and it is now down to somebody else, if there is anyone willing to take that chance.

Didn't look fuck-all up with greedy twat when he was partying in Dubai. Get rid!

Good idea, although knowing us we would probably be deducted points for breaching Premier League rules yet to be drafted.

I see no way back for Dele at this level. I doubt he has the appetite for playing at any other level but wish him well.

He obviously has personal issues, which I respect and admire his honesty when he spoke openly about them.

But as you refer, he just seems to have lost his way and passion for the game.

I too wish him well. I'll always remember the impact he had at that Palace match. Watching the Tunnel Access of that for the umpteenth time, he seemed happy and content.

Such a talent. Such a shame. But I agree with what you say.

These two players competed for the same England place, hit the highs early, of similar age and ability.

Maybe we are his Luton, somewhere where he can fit and thrive; the bottom line is we don't know. As it stands, the club has 6 games to use him before money is due to Levy, I suspect we may see him then...

If he comes through at what may be the most crucial weeks of our history, then he will silence his critics and find a new contract, with or without our club.

I still wish him well because if he gets back to 70% of the player he was, it will be 70% more than what we have.

If we could get 5 years of top-level ‘Dele Alli' at a knockdown price because he's genuinely grateful to the club and supporters, then we wouldn't be throwing away more money, we'd be recouping some of our ‘investment'.

However, my own crystal ball remains resolutely devoid of information regarding Dele's mojo, mobility, motivation and monetary wants so I'm reduced to waiting to see.

For us, both were and are basket cases.

Take another ludicrous bow, Kenwright.

Given he's in a race to get fit before the season and/or his contract ends, I hope – but doubt – we'll even get 5 sub appearances, let alone run on starts out of him.

And to expect him to play next season for less than he's stealing now????

Well, miracles do happen, I'm told, so maybe this new mentally and physically redeemed Dele will turn up in May or whenever and help us beat Liverpool and Arsenal... and thus every penny we've spent on him will be seen as money well spent, a long-term master stroke – a gift from beyond the grave from the world's best Evertonian even.

Seeing will be believing. But, as ever with the vast majority of footballers... If you want loyalty – get a dog.

Miami beckons??

There are so many question marks over his physical and mental state that, even if both were in good working order, it would surely take a few months before he would be fit. That rules out this season.

The only way he could return would be if a deal was done (to suit us) he could have an extended preseason so the staff could see if he could attain the necessary levels.

Then there would still be the question marks about his mental health, wages and contractual complications with Spurs.

Most likely scenario is that he won't get fit this season, we will financially be too stretched and he will want to go South. Saudi beckens.

Well, let's just poll our readers and then make a headline out of it: That's the Daily Express approach to quality sports journalism:

Over 3,800 people voted in the poll held on our website, with 68 per cent of voters believing that Dele Alli's Premier League career is over after Everton star's injury nightmare

Yes, the majority of Express Sport readers, who were asked whether Dele would be able to rekindle a career in England's top flight, said the Englishman won't return as a regular Premier League player.

I'm more surprised that 68% of respondents to a Daily Express poll were Evertonians.

“Dele was incredible when he turned up. He was a young kid from Milton Keynes, and he got thrown into first-team training, and he would just do stuff. It was like playing for fun.

"And I think to start with, the management, the staff probably were like, ‘What's this kid doing? Play properly, get the ball, play here.' He would just, like, ball comes to feet, step over it, tries to go through other people's legs. Sometimes it worked, sometimes it didn't, trying to flick the ball.

"But then we went pre-season again, went and played against Real Madrid, and it was ‘The Dele Show' from there.

“This was a kid for whom there was no difference in level of opposition. That's probably the best way I can describe it. What he did in League One, he would try and do against Modric, against Kroos, these guys. It was irrelevant who he was playing against.

"He had the self-confidence, I think he's spoken about it, which is like the bravery. And when he – that season when he just was breaking through, scoring goals for fun, it was insane. There was no limit for him.

"He could have at that time been similar to, like, a Bellingham kind of player now. Someone who maybe not technically as good as Jude is, but ultimately the game comes down to scoring goals. He used to find a way to score and assist pretty much every game. And he used to just cause nightmares for the opposition.”

We will have paid Dele somewhere in the region of £10M for his time here which only saw him play in 13 games, and he started very few of those games. There were no goals or assists in any of those games he took part in.

He has largely spent most of the time in London close to his rehabilitation team. Even the journalists have stopped asking at press conferences about how his fitness is coming along; I suspect that they know there is very little prospect of him ever kicking a ball for the club again.

Fewer and fewer games left for him to play in, and a rapidly diminishing prospect that he would trigger the £20M payment now.

But I think you're right. It's telling that no-one is talking about his fitness anymore.

Unless he's Sean Dyche's ultra-secret weapon, and will be front and centre of a radically revamped attacking midfield, starting with the home game against Nottingham Forest and leading us on a fantastic late charge in the final six games of the relegation run-in!

I agree on the waste of wages, and you're absolutely right, we should never have "bought" Dele Alli, but using Nathan Broadhead as if he's some kind of phenom is a bit iffy. Likewise, Simms, before the FA Cup tie against Maidstone, had done nothing in the sky blue shirt.