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- Jan 6, 2013
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http://www.thetimes.co.uk/tto/sport/football/article4659598.ece
Exclusive: ‘Dele Alli would be hard to leave out for England’
Before Spurs v Leicester in the FA Cup, Gary Lineker tells Henry Winter why his former clubs are doing him proud
Gary Lineker believes that Tottenham Hotspur’s young English triumvirate, Dele Alli, Harry Kane and Eric Dier, have a “real chance . . . of establishing themselves as internationals for years to come” if they avoid injury and maintain their form. They would help England to emerge from what Lineker calls “the Dark Ages”.
“I took a bit of a punt at the beginning of the season, saying Alli might break into the England squad at the Euros, and then he started playing really well,” says Lineker, the former Spurs player. “Now I don’t think it’s a question of whether he will be in the squad, it’s whether he will be in the team.” Alli, who joined Spurs for £5 million from Milton Keynes Dons last season, has played four times for England and scored a spectacular goal against France.
The former England captain understandably laces his praise of the 19-year-old box-to-box midfielder with a cautionary caveat. “Alli clearly has got something special,” Lineker adds. “I’m always a little bit wary about building people up too much because expectations come very quickly, particularly in our country, and then it is not always easy for a young man, probably still growing and certainly maturing. Things can happen, injuries, etc, that can slow things down, but given a fair run this kid looks something special.
“He’s clearly very, very well motivated. Just watching his all-round game, he’s got a bit of everything. He scores goals as well. He’s still so young. Mauricio Pochettino has put him in there and he’s already one of their key players. It’s good to watch. But I’m sure he [Pochettino] will manage him well enough not to wear him out. That’s always a danger. He’s clearly an absolute athlete, who can run all day.”
Lineker will get a close-up of Alli on Sunday, when he hosts BBC One’s coverage of the FA Cup third-round tie between two of his former clubs, Spurs and Leicester City, at White Hart Lane. The tie kicks off at 4pm, with the Match of the Day Live studio talk starting at 3.35pm sure to involve Lineker discussing Kane with erstwhile England strikers Peter Crouch and Alan Shearer, and the former Leicester manager, Martin O’Neill.
“Again, without wishing to make any horrible comparisons with someone, Kane does remind me a little bit of Shearer,” Lineker says. “I like Kane and I know Shearer likes him a lot as well.”
The versatile Kane can play as a No 9 or No 10. “Yes, he can, and that’s partly his appeal,” Lineker adds. “He has a really strong all-round game. He’s not lightning quick, but he’s not slow. That’s the only thing you would look at and say, ‘If he was a yard or two quicker’ . . . well, I don’t know what you’d be looking at. He’s certainly not sluggish. He can hold it up, he’s dynamic, good in the air, works his socks off, got a really good touch, can beat players. He scores poacher’s goals, great goals, takes free kicks, takes penalties. He does the whole thing.”
As for Dier’s ease in the holding role, Lineker says: “He looks a natural there. He’s blossomed into that position. Again, that has definitely been a problem position for England. To get that kind of player would be a huge bonus for Roy [Hodgson] going into the Euros.
“It will be interesting to see how many of them are in his starting line-up in the Euros. At the beginning of the season, you would have said ‘well maybe Kane’s got a chance, but even for him it might be difficult with people who are already there’, but now . . . But it’s futile trying to pick a team now.
“We all know what happens with England players. They get injured, tired, have shifts in form. But if he continues to play and stay fit for the rest of the season, the way he has been doing, Alli would be hard to leave out. The same probably with Dier and Kane. All three have a real chance, given a good few months now, of perhaps establishing themselves as internationals for years to come.
“They are an exciting bunch, the young English players at Spurs. They are the foremost of all the clubs carrying the flag. There’s a bit of a plethora of young talent finally coming through the English game. Thankfully they’re getting round to coaching them properly at a young age. Spurs are reaping the rewards. They have a manager prepared to give them a chance. They’ve clearly been extremely well coached.”
Including the likes of Ryan Mason, Spurs have a group of sensible youngsters who could keep each other grounded. “It will help,’’Lineker said. “It’s a slightly unfair comparison because they were so special, but the Class of ’92 [at Manchester United] all helped each other as they came through. I’m not going to make comparisons in terms of the level of abilities of the two groups, but that was the last time one club produced a set of English players at the same time, but they [Spurs] seem to have a massive amount of potential.
“I would say this is slightly similar with Spurs, not quite as many of them, but certainly a few. I’m sure if they can grow together, and if Spurs can keep them at the club, which is another thing you have to take into account, not only will they blossom as they already are doing, but also Spurs could reap the rewards and become very successful in a similar sort of way — perhaps — to Manchester United.
“Again I’m not comparing the amount of success, because what Manchester United did was incredible, but in terms of overall improvement for Spurs, and challenging for trophies and the title [it is a step in the right direction].”
Lineker is impressed by the Spurs’ spine stretching from Hugo Lloris in goal to the centre halves, Toby Alderweireld and Jan Vertonghen, and midfielders such as Alli and Dier towards Kane up top. “Alderweireld has been a brilliant signing for them. He’s made a massive difference. They have a top-class goalkeeper in Lloris as well. That Tottenham spine, and the fact that it has suddenly materialised, has given them that strength, and taken away that flimsy aspect that Spurs always seem to have and don’t lose as many games that perhaps they would have done in the past.”
Exclusive: ‘Dele Alli would be hard to leave out for England’
Before Spurs v Leicester in the FA Cup, Gary Lineker tells Henry Winter why his former clubs are doing him proud
Gary Lineker believes that Tottenham Hotspur’s young English triumvirate, Dele Alli, Harry Kane and Eric Dier, have a “real chance . . . of establishing themselves as internationals for years to come” if they avoid injury and maintain their form. They would help England to emerge from what Lineker calls “the Dark Ages”.
“I took a bit of a punt at the beginning of the season, saying Alli might break into the England squad at the Euros, and then he started playing really well,” says Lineker, the former Spurs player. “Now I don’t think it’s a question of whether he will be in the squad, it’s whether he will be in the team.” Alli, who joined Spurs for £5 million from Milton Keynes Dons last season, has played four times for England and scored a spectacular goal against France.
The former England captain understandably laces his praise of the 19-year-old box-to-box midfielder with a cautionary caveat. “Alli clearly has got something special,” Lineker adds. “I’m always a little bit wary about building people up too much because expectations come very quickly, particularly in our country, and then it is not always easy for a young man, probably still growing and certainly maturing. Things can happen, injuries, etc, that can slow things down, but given a fair run this kid looks something special.
“He’s clearly very, very well motivated. Just watching his all-round game, he’s got a bit of everything. He scores goals as well. He’s still so young. Mauricio Pochettino has put him in there and he’s already one of their key players. It’s good to watch. But I’m sure he [Pochettino] will manage him well enough not to wear him out. That’s always a danger. He’s clearly an absolute athlete, who can run all day.”
Lineker will get a close-up of Alli on Sunday, when he hosts BBC One’s coverage of the FA Cup third-round tie between two of his former clubs, Spurs and Leicester City, at White Hart Lane. The tie kicks off at 4pm, with the Match of the Day Live studio talk starting at 3.35pm sure to involve Lineker discussing Kane with erstwhile England strikers Peter Crouch and Alan Shearer, and the former Leicester manager, Martin O’Neill.
“Again, without wishing to make any horrible comparisons with someone, Kane does remind me a little bit of Shearer,” Lineker says. “I like Kane and I know Shearer likes him a lot as well.”
The versatile Kane can play as a No 9 or No 10. “Yes, he can, and that’s partly his appeal,” Lineker adds. “He has a really strong all-round game. He’s not lightning quick, but he’s not slow. That’s the only thing you would look at and say, ‘If he was a yard or two quicker’ . . . well, I don’t know what you’d be looking at. He’s certainly not sluggish. He can hold it up, he’s dynamic, good in the air, works his socks off, got a really good touch, can beat players. He scores poacher’s goals, great goals, takes free kicks, takes penalties. He does the whole thing.”
As for Dier’s ease in the holding role, Lineker says: “He looks a natural there. He’s blossomed into that position. Again, that has definitely been a problem position for England. To get that kind of player would be a huge bonus for Roy [Hodgson] going into the Euros.
“It will be interesting to see how many of them are in his starting line-up in the Euros. At the beginning of the season, you would have said ‘well maybe Kane’s got a chance, but even for him it might be difficult with people who are already there’, but now . . . But it’s futile trying to pick a team now.
“We all know what happens with England players. They get injured, tired, have shifts in form. But if he continues to play and stay fit for the rest of the season, the way he has been doing, Alli would be hard to leave out. The same probably with Dier and Kane. All three have a real chance, given a good few months now, of perhaps establishing themselves as internationals for years to come.
“They are an exciting bunch, the young English players at Spurs. They are the foremost of all the clubs carrying the flag. There’s a bit of a plethora of young talent finally coming through the English game. Thankfully they’re getting round to coaching them properly at a young age. Spurs are reaping the rewards. They have a manager prepared to give them a chance. They’ve clearly been extremely well coached.”
Including the likes of Ryan Mason, Spurs have a group of sensible youngsters who could keep each other grounded. “It will help,’’Lineker said. “It’s a slightly unfair comparison because they were so special, but the Class of ’92 [at Manchester United] all helped each other as they came through. I’m not going to make comparisons in terms of the level of abilities of the two groups, but that was the last time one club produced a set of English players at the same time, but they [Spurs] seem to have a massive amount of potential.
“I would say this is slightly similar with Spurs, not quite as many of them, but certainly a few. I’m sure if they can grow together, and if Spurs can keep them at the club, which is another thing you have to take into account, not only will they blossom as they already are doing, but also Spurs could reap the rewards and become very successful in a similar sort of way — perhaps — to Manchester United.
“Again I’m not comparing the amount of success, because what Manchester United did was incredible, but in terms of overall improvement for Spurs, and challenging for trophies and the title [it is a step in the right direction].”
Lineker is impressed by the Spurs’ spine stretching from Hugo Lloris in goal to the centre halves, Toby Alderweireld and Jan Vertonghen, and midfielders such as Alli and Dier towards Kane up top. “Alderweireld has been a brilliant signing for them. He’s made a massive difference. They have a top-class goalkeeper in Lloris as well. That Tottenham spine, and the fact that it has suddenly materialised, has given them that strength, and taken away that flimsy aspect that Spurs always seem to have and don’t lose as many games that perhaps they would have done in the past.”
