Everton midfielder Dele Alli has now said that he really wants to impress manager Sean Dyche ahead of the 2023/24 Premier League season.
The former Spurs man is yet to play under Dyche at Everton as he was sent out on loan to Turkish side Besiktas last summer.
However, having returned from Istanbul, the 27-year-old has travelled with the Everton squad to a pre-season training camp in Switzerland, and says that ‘right now it’s about getting back on the pitch’.
Speaking with Gary Neville on The Overlap YouTube channel, Dele confirmed that he has spoken with Everton manager Sean Dyche, stating: “Right now it’s about getting back on the pitch and showing him (Dyche) what I can do.
The talks were more in terms of the rehab and how I’m feeling, which is a normal question for people to have I think.”
He continued: “I just need to get back fit, which isn’t too long away, I’m feeling good in that sense. Probably another few weeks and then get back to playing and enjoying football which is what I want to do. So, I’m ready for a big season and I’m more prepared to deal with the challenges that come with it.”
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Dele Alli can still make an impact at Everton
Dele joined Everton from Spurs in January 2022 on an initial free transfer, with £10m owed to the London club after 20 appearances and an overall fee of £40m if certain benchmarks by the player are met.
Having made 13 appearances for the Blues, Dele’s unorthodox contract means that Everton will owe Spurs a fee should he feature seven times this season.
There is no doubt that Dele Alli is a top talent, but he has underwhelmed at Goodison Park and hasn’t been at his best for a number of years.
However, if Sean Dyche can get the best out of him, and he is indeed ‘ready for a big season’, then he could be a gamechanger for Everton this year.