Dele Alli is the best young player in the world, says Tottenham Hotspur manager Mauricio Pochettino
Pochettino thinks Alli is better than the likes of PSG forward Kylian Mbappé, Gabriel Jesus of Manchester City and Celta Vigo's Maxi Gomez
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Dele Alli is the best player in the world for his age, Tottenham manager Mauricio Pochettino has declared.
The 21-year-old has had praise and criticism heaped upon him in recent months.
His rise from League One football at MK Dons to being a regular for both club and country while still a teenager is a remarkable story.
But claims that he is a diver have been added to grumbles that he doesn't score enough goals or put in consistently stellar performances.
All of this is baffling to Pochettino however, who issued an unequivocal assessment of his player's attributes.
"When you compare him at 21 years old with all the players in the world - not only in Europe, in the world - I think he is the best," he said.
"I don't understand why people still criticise him. Dele Alli, for his age, is the best. That's it. Tell me one better than him, a 21-year-old, who has achieved as much. Maybe you can find similar. But better than him?"
The statistics bear out the Argentinian's claim as although Alli has just 10 goals in all competitions this season he is nonetheless joint-top of the list of goals and assists made by 21-year-olds in Europe's biggest five leagues.
Alli, whose groin niggle has made him a doubt for Saturday's FA Cup quarter-final at Swansea City, has scored six goals and contributed nine assists in Premier League action. Maxi Gomez of Celta Vigo has scored 13 goals and set up two for team-mates, with Bordeaux's Malcom - a January transfer target for Tottenham - next with a combined total of 14.
As for players who are 21 or younger, only Kylian Mbappe of Paris Saint-Germain, with 13 goals and eight assists, is above Alli, who is comfortably ahead of Gabriel Jesus of Manchester City and Manchester United's Marcus Rashford in this category.
A number of players who are slightly older than Alli have established themselves in the big leagues, such as Manchester City's Leroy Sane.
But Pochettino insisted: "Last season, who was the best? Dele, no?"
Pochettino was cagey about predicting an exact return to action for Harry Kane and his injured ankle.
Tottenham have already declared the striker to be back in training at some point next month, although the derby with Chelsea April 1 is likely to be too soon.
Kane has a history of ankle problems but Pochettino put that down to nothing but a desire to get into scoring positions.
"He would put his leg in a washing machine to try to score because he's so brave," he said. "Maybe another player would say 'I'm not going to take a risk'. But he's a warrior, that's why Harry Kane is Harry Kane."
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