It feels like not just Everton, but the entire footballing world is praying for a Dele Alli comeback.
The English midfielder was once on top of the world at Tottenham Hotspur, as a key cog in a side that seemed destined to keep reaching new heights.
However, with the dismissal of Mauricio Pochettino, among other factors, his form fell off a cliff.
He has since opened up on the inner turmoil that has led to the struggles recently faced, admitting to Gary Neville he now felt ‘in the best place’ he’d ever been mentally.
With an injury to contend with though, there is yet to be that fairytale return for the 27-year-old still battling for his fitness.
However, just yesterday saw him take to Instagram to offer an update, uploading a number of photographs from his personal training camp in Dubai. Alongside, he would also issue a defiant claim, simply writing: ‘It’s not over until I win’.
How good was Dele Alli?
Given how long it feels like he has been out of commission, it might be easy to forget just how imperious Dele was for a number of years.
After all, he had taken to the Premier League with ease despite moving straight from MK Dons, and after just two years he had already hit 18 goals and assisted a further nine in a sole season in the English top flight alone.
Going on to post a further 269 appearances for the Lilywhites, he departed having amassed 128 goal contributions, seeing his efforts to rekindle his career scuppered given the managerial upheaval in north London.
Now with Everton, and under Sean Dyche, there are arguably few more stable outfits in the division after years of unrest.
The former Burnley boss will be keen to usher out just a glimmer of that prior talent upon nursing him to fitness, with Abdoulaye Doucoure likely to be sweating on his starting spot should the £100k-per-week superstar take little time to acclimatise to the pace of the league.
Especially given how the effusive in his praise the 52-year-old has been over Dele for his comprehension of his philosophy.
Having once been lauded by Pochettino as ‘the best in his age, his is not the kind of talent that simply evaporates.
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