Dele Alli, once hailed as the future of English football, is now attempting to reinvent himself as a Twitch streamer after a dramatic fall from grace. The 30-year-old midfielder is currently a free agent following spells at Everton, Besiktas and Como that failed to revive his career.
Rise and fall at Tottenham
Alli exploded onto the scene at Tottenham after moving from Milton Keynes, quickly becoming an England regular. In each of his first two campaigns at Spurs, he was voted the PFA Young Player of the Year and made the PFA Team of the Year.
However, towards the end of his time in north London, he fell into obscurity due to poor form, repeated injuries and falling out with multiple managers. His subsequent moves to Everton, Besiktas and Como did not turn his fortunes around.
Streaming and former team-mates
Alli has recently broadcast himself calling some of his former team-mates to a live audience of thousands. Several players, including Jack Grealish, James Maddison, Tammy Abraham and Harry Kane, picked up the phone, while others failed to answer.
He has also used his platform to show off his gym routine and individual training sessions, as well as displaying his personal trophies from around a decade ago. While some have praised his move into streaming, others view it as a symbol of his decline from one of England's brightest talents into football irrelevance.
Former England player's verdict
One former Three Lions player told the Daily Mail: "It's been hard to see the demise of someone who had everything. When it's lasted so long, it's almost impossible to get it back."
"The Dele that we all know, we're thinking: 'Where has he gone?'. I think it's a confidence thing. I couldn't watch the videos. I felt sorry for him. It made me feel really sad that it's come to this. For his ability, it made me feel: 'Wow, is this where it's come to?'. I feel sorry that football has left him behind."
The former player added: "My advice would be don't give up. He's 30, he's still got another five years. If Twitch relaxes him, do Twitch - we used to play on the PlayStation at England camps - but give 110 per cent in training. Do I think he could get back to Dele at Spurs? Probably not. Do I think he could have a good career? Yeah, I do. He can be successful, but not at the highest level, because he'll be seen as a risk."
