Dele Alli, once regarded as a talented playmaker, has experienced a significant downfall in recent years, losing the trust of his coaches, according to insights provided by Alex Iwobi.
The Everton-owned forward, known for his impressive England caps and extensive Premier League experience, has struggled to recapture his spark, particularly during his loan spell at Besiktas in the 2022-23 season.
Dele’s decline prompted Everton to send him on loan to Turkey last summer, as the club lost confidence in his abilities.
Alex Iwobi, who had the opportunity to work alongside the enigmatic 27-year-old at Goodison Park, shed light on the underlying reasons behind Dele’s selection issues.
Speaking to FilthyFellas, Nigerian international Iwobi highlighted Dele’s lack of application in training as a potential factor contributing to his struggles. It appears that Dele’s commitment and performance on the training ground might have eroded the trust of his coaches, hindering his opportunities for first-team selection and impacting his overall form.
He sad, “With him, he will say it himself, he isn’t a training player. Unless it’s a match in training and then you see Dele perform. When it comes to training matches, he is a joke. When it comes to drills – he tries, but because he’s slow with it. When it comes to games, he will score and assist or something. It was hard for him to play. If you’re not just doing it in training, and at the time, the manager needed reliable players. He couldn’t really put his trust in him. We all know Dele could have performed.”