What’s the story?
When the legends of the game come out to praise the goal scoring abilities of a twenty-year-old footballer, it is definitely a moment of exhilaration for any player, especially when it is Ronaldinho. In an interview with FourFourTwo, the Brazilian legend stated that the goal scored by Dele Alli vs Crystal Palace last season left him in awe of the youngster’s talent and that it had him thrilled to bits.
“I saw Dele Alli’s goal last year and it looked like a goal I would like to score there is just no explanation for goals like that,” he said. “It’s thrilling to inspire someone to score such a great goal; I can barely put it into words.
“It’s very emotional for me to inspire world-class players people like Pogba and Sterling, they are already among the best and it’s great to see them scoring the goals that make people love the sport even more.”
Alli's incredible strike against Palace at Selhurst Park earnt him the BBC Goal of the Season award last year. The former Barcelona man also had some words of praise for Manchester United Captain, Wayne Rooney as he still considers him as one the best in world football.
“Among the English, I still like Wayne Rooney,” Ronaldinho said. “He has the skill, shoots well and protects the ball. He is steady never on the ground. I have always liked his style.”
In case you didn’t know
After joining Tottenham Hotspur from MK Dons for £5 million in 2015, the 20-year-old took the Premier League by storm as he finished with 10 goals and seven assists in his debut season.
Following a first successful season with Tottenham, Alli was included in the squad picked by former England manager, Roy Hodgson for the UEFA Euro 2016 qualifying games against Estonia and Lithuania. He made his debut against Lithuania after replacing Ross Barkley right before full time. He scored his first England goal in his first start for England, scoring against France at the Wembley Stadium in November 2015.
The 20-year-old has been linked with several big European clubs in the last few weeks including FC Barcelona and Real Madrid. Growing up, Alli was a Liverpool fan and idolised Yaya Toure, Steven Gerrard, and Jason Puncheon. Alli already has 11 goals and two assists in the Premier League this season.
Also Read: 10 best U-23 midfielders in the world right now
The heart of the matter
When a football legend like Ronaldinho himself wishes he had scored the goal Dele Alli did, it shows how much he rates the young English footballer. Alli has time and time proved his potential, often winning games by himself for the Spurs. Goals like the one against Palace last season is just a preview to what he can come up with in the future.
What next?
With Dele Alli turning heads in the world of football, the young midfielder could soon end up at European giants like Real Madrid, FC Barcelona in the future.
Also Read: Is it too soon for Dele Alli to consider a move to Real Madrid?
Sportskeeda’s take
With just two seasons under his belt in the top flight of English football, Alli has already proven to be one of the best young footballers in the world at the moment. It’s not just the goals but his ambition to win and play quality football is what makes him special. If Alli continues to play the way he is, he could soon be counted amongst the best midfielders in world football.
