‘Tears of contrition + shocking confession’ in front of Man U legend: ‘SON best friend’ strikes again, this time for real
There’s nowhere to fall. One more step and it’s “goodbye forever” to soccer.
Dele Alli (27, Everton) is serious about his comeback. He cried “tears of penance” in an interview with United legend Gary Neville.
Neville’s “The Overlap” interview with Alli was released on Nov. 13 (KST). “This is the right time for me to tell people what’s going on. It’s hard to talk about it because I’ve been hiding it for a long time, and I’m scared to talk about it,” he said.
Born in 1996, Alli made his professional debut with Ligue 1 (third division) side MK Dons. After four seasons, he moved to Tottenham in 2015. He was 19 years old. He was a young tree in a nutshell.
From his first season, he was a force to be reckoned with. Under Mauricio Pochettino, Alli was touted as England’s future, forming a ‘DESK line’ with Son Heung-min, Harry Kane and Christian Eriksen. He also boasted a golden partnership with Son Heung-min. He was capped at every age group for England and made 37 appearances at the senior level.
However, he began a downward spiral under Jose Mourinho and fell out of favor under Antonio Conte. He eventually left Tottenham for Everton in January last year.
There was no turnaround at Everton either. Alli was loaned out to Turkiye Besiktas last season, but scored just three goals in 13 appearances. He returned to England in April due to injury following a feud with Besiktas coach Sérénol Güneche. He went on the operating table with a hip injury.
But Alli was already exhausted. He was addicted to alcohol and sleeping pills, and was also controversially known for inhaling ‘hippie crack’.
“When I got back from Turkuye, I knew I needed surgery and I was in a state of mental exhaustion, so I decided to check myself into rehab for my mental health. They deal with addiction and trauma. I felt it was time for me.”
Ali adds, “You can’t tell someone to go there. You have to make the decision for yourself. “I was stuck in a vicious cycle and a life where I was harming myself,” he confessed.
Everton also helped him during his six-week rehabilitation: “They supported me with all their hearts. I will be forever grateful to them. I’m glad I made it,” he said.
Ali also admits that he considered retirement at age 24. “I woke up one morning and had to go to training. I remember looking in the mirror and asking myself if I could retire now. “It was heartbreaking for me,” he says, “doing what I love. I was always against myself in everything. I was pretending to win the battle by showing that I was happy, but inside I was losing.”
Alli is with Everton at their training camp in Switzerland. Everton will play their first preseason game against Stade Nyonne in Nyon, Switzerland, on Aug. 15. Alli is expected to play. Everton manager Sean Dyche is still skeptical, but he has faith in Alli’s ability.
MK Dons owner Pete Winkelman backed Alli’s comeback on Wednesday: “He is one of the greatest soccer players of his generation and can still turn things around. We all remember his goals against Real Madrid for Tottenham in his prime,” he said. “But it’s very easy for things to go wrong, especially in a sport as physically demanding and competitive as soccer. A healthy Ali, with a smile on his face, can still play at the highest level.”
He added: “The world still belongs to Ali. If he really focuses on it, there is no doubt that he can peak again.” “When he is physically healthy, the smile will return and everything else in his life will fall into place. We will see Ali on the soccer field again. I can’t wait for that moment 메이저놀이터추천.”
Neville took to social media to reveal Ali’s interview, calling it “one of the most emotional, difficult and inspiring conversations I’ve ever had in my life.