‘To call’ - Former Tottenham boss offers Everton’s Dele Alli support following interview

Chelsea manager Mauricio Pochettino has claimed he wants to talk with his former player in Dele Alli following his deeply revealing and emotional video with Gary Neville that was released today.

The interview, conducted by Neville for the Overlap series, saw Alli open up about his difficult upbringing that included drugs and sexual abuse and he also spoke honestly and openly about wanting to retire early as well as his current career status.

He returned to Everton following a disappointing loan spell in Turkey with Besiktas where he failed to make an impact, scoring three times in 15 apperances. It was also reported that the club wanted to send Alli back from his loan early due to the nature of his performances.

But he played the best football of his career at Tottenham following his 2015 move from Milton Keynes Dons as he went onto become one of the league’s most exciting players - making the PFA Team of the Year two years in a row.

The newly-appointed Chelsea manager Pochettino spoke on his former player, offering to give up his time to help the 27-year-old following the release of the deeply revealing interview - he also posted a blue heart on his Instagram story with a picture of the pair today to show his support for Alli.

“I hope to have some time to call and see because he is a great guy and I want to talk a bit with him. I want to help him and see what is going on. He’s still young. For sure, he has the mentality.”

During the Overlap interview Alli spoke on his former boss, revealing the close relationship he shared with the Argentinian from his time at Tottenham. It was during that time that Alli experienced the best form of his career as he shone as one of the league’s best players and was a consistent figure for England as well.

“Mauricio Pochettino was the best manager and I couldn’t have asked for a better manager at the time,” he said.

“It was him and his team, you know, not just him. There was Jesus [Perez], Miguel [d’Agostino] and Tony [Jimenez]. They are amazing people and they’re so understanding, and it wasn’t like a footballer and a manager relationship. It was deeper than that, I felt.”

Alli has been working hard at Finch Farm with the Everton squad and he has travelled to Switzerland with the club set to face off against FC Stade Nyonnais on Friday.

It remains to be seen if Dyche will include him in his squad for next season, but the former Milton Keynes Dons star has a chance to impress and fight for his place across pre-season, starting tomorrow.