Dele Alli has claimed he was banned from Tesco for life after the former England star was caught stealing from a store as a youngster. The ex-Tottenham and Everton ace made the startling admission while opening up about his misspent youth.
Robbing the place up
Alli, 30, claimed he had been “robbing the place up” before being barred from the supermarket. The midfielder made the revelation during a stream with creator Samham on Sunday, September 27.
Alli – who last played for Como in Serie A before being released last September after just one appearance – recalled being driven to football training as a youngster when he was asked to pop into Tesco to buy drinks. But rather than getting out of the car, he says he froze in the back seat – because he knew he was banned from entering.
Banned for life
Alli said: “They’d get Powerades and stuff to go training. I’d sit in the back being bare quiet, trying to be like I’m a good kid, like whatever. They must have been talking about something to do with them at school, and they was like, can you go into the shop?
“They gave me money and was like, ah, can you get the Lucozade? And I was just sat there and I was just sat in the back, I didn’t get out of the car. Thirty seconds went by and they looked back, they’re still talking.
“They look back and they was like, can you go get the Lucozades? I was like, I can’t, they was like, why? I was like, I’m banned for life. Because I was robbing the place up. Everything bro.”
Career revival
Alli is currently a free agent and has recently been training with League Two side Barnet as he looks to revive his playing career, as reported by NeedToKnow.
The midfielder was once regarded as one of England’s brightest talents after breaking through at Tottenham. He represented the Three Lions at Euro 2016 and the 2018 World Cup, with his last England appearance coming in 2019.
Dele later had spells in Turkey with Besiktas and then with Cesc Fabregas' Como in Italy. In 2023, the former PFA Young Player of the Year gave a candid interview to Gary Neville about his mental health struggles, childhood trauma and addiction.
