‘Alli more impressive than Gerrard’

The 20-year-old is a regular for Premier League title-chasers Tottenham and the England national team and Jamie Redknapp has backed him to be his country’s lynchpin for years

Former Liverpool and Tottenham man Jamie Redknapp believes Dele Alli is more impressive than Steven Gerrard was at the same age.

The Spurs star, who scored his second goal for England in the recent win over Malta, has enjoyed a meteoric rise to prominence since completing a move to White Hart Lane a little over a year ago.

Having notched 10 goals in his first season in the Premier League, Alli is already an England regular at the age of 20 and Redknapp feels that even former Three Lions captain Gerrard was not as mature when making his own breakthrough.

“Dele Alli is the one player who you think is going to make something happen,” Redknapp told the Daily Mail.

“Not even Steven Gerrard was displaying that kind of authority on the pitch at that age.

“Alli didn’t even play as well as he can, but you can tell the other players have respect for him.

“He can be England’s linchpin for many years to come. I was disappointed to see him come off.”