Micah Richards has compared Jude Bellingham to Dele Alli.
Speaking on the Match of the Day: Top 10 podcast, the former defender admitted that he was ‘gutted’ for Dele when he wasn’t able to emulate his form from his early days at Tottenham Hotspur.
Dele joined Everton in a deal rising to £40 million last year, but was sent out on loan to Besiktas when he failed to make an immediate impact at Goodison Park.
The midfielder is now out injured and has only managed 13 appearances for the Toffees since his arrival in January 2022.
Everton had hoped that Dele could rediscover the form that saw him become one of the world’s greatest young prospects at Spurs, however the 27-year-old still looks far from ever becoming the player he was predicted to be.
Dele’s downfall has led to Richards’ hesitation over Jude Bellingham’s exciting rise to the top
Speaking to Gary Lineker and Alan Shearer for the BBC, Richards said: “Marvellous. Do you remember that goal when he flicked it over someone’s head against Palace? I was so gutted for him because I thought he was going to kick on.
“It’s hard, isn’t it, for young players. I know we talk about it quite a lot, but that’s why I’m so hesistant to give Bellingham too much credit because he started so fast. Where do you go from there?”
The decline of Dele
Dele Alli‘s collapse was one of the biggest disappointments in English football.
The midfielder joined from MK Dons with very low expectations and quickly became one of the best players in the Premier League at only 20 years old.
Dele has now revealed that is struggles have partly been down to addiction and a difficult childhood, leading to plenty of support for the former England international.
It seems ambitious to think Dele can ever get back to his best given everything that has happened in recent years, however it would be great for him to be able to get back to enjoying his football.
As for Bellingham, it would be a huge surprise to everyone if the Real Madrid star’s form ever declined. I’m really not sure where his ceiling ends.
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