Dele Alli will be intent on silencing his critics between now and the end of the season by playing a pivotal role in Everton's quest to maintain their top-flight status. Parting ways with Tottenham at the end of the January transfer window following seven years in N17, the attacking midfielder's switch to Goodison Park has not gone to plan as of yet.
Making six substitute appearances for the Toffees since the start of February, Alli was in the headlines last Sunday due to Frank Lampard's decision not to start with him at West Ham despite Donny van de Beek's injury in the warm-up. Not exactly blessed with midfield options due to a host of injuries and also suspension, Alli remained as one of the Everton substitutes with centre-back Mason Holgate instead coming into midfield.
The ex-MK Dons man remained on the sidelines for the whole game at the London Stadium, with Michael Keane's red card not exactly helping his or Everton's cause in the closing stages. An unused substitute in the previous Premier League game against Newcastle United four days after a very poor 31-minute cameo in the 1-0 defeat against Wolves, all eyes will now be on the Everton team on Wednesday evening to see if he starts in their relegation showdown at Burnley.
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Far from his best over the past few seasons at Tottenham with injuries and a loss of form seeing him lose his previously guaranteed place in the side, a winter exit was seen as a must to get his career back on track but his Spurs woes have unfortunately just continued on Merseyside. Previewing the Burnley game when speaking to the media on Tuesday afternoon at their Finch Farm training base, Alli was one of main talking points for the Everton head coach.
“Train well, stay focused and show me in training – as all the players have to – that he is ready to play," said the Toffees boss when asked what his player must do to start (via Liverpool Echo). "And I know that is not always easy as a player because players like to play games but we are in a position now where every game is crucial and how we prepare and how we go into games is what I see and what I select of. So he just has to do that.”
A big player for Mauricio Pochettino's Tottenham team in the first few years after his transfer from MK Dons, the 25-year-old regularly chipped in with big goals and performances to help the Lilywhites challenging towards the top. That's exactly what Everton need from Alli right now, although he cannot do that unless he is given sufficient playing time by Lampard.
Amid plenty of questions regarding the player at present, even more will be raised this summer if his Everton transfer fails to work out and he continues to play a bit-part role for the Toffees. As much as Everton need Alli to recapture the form he showed at Tottenham on a weekly basis given their current position, the player himself needs to find his stride now more than ever for the sake of his own career.
