What happened to Dele Alli? How the Englishman went from hero to zero

What happened to Dele Alli? How the Englishman went from hero to zero

Lenah Ann
updated at April 12, 2023 at 8:16 PM

Consistently being named the youngest player of the year, Dele's fame almost came to a standstill after his coach ruled him as one with a lack of confidence. Nevertheless, he remained true to himself and did not give up on his soccer career amid people's comments about him. But the question is, what happened to Dele Alli?

What did Mourinho say about Dele Alli?
Alli of Besiktas before the Super Lig match against Umraniyespor at Vodafone Park on 30 October 2022 in Istanbul, Turkey. Photo: Seskim
Source: Getty Images

Even though his case seemed like a fall-from-grace type of scenario, the player gained his confidence and is currently playing as an attacking midfielder for Super Lig club Besiktas, on loan from Premier League club Everton.

Dele Alli's profile and bio summary

Full name

Bamidele Jermaine Alli

Date of birth

11 April 1996

Place of birth

Milton Keynes, Buckinghamshire, England

Age

26 years of age (2022)

Zodiac sign

Aries

Nationality

English

Ethnicity

Mixed

Religion

Christianity

Height

6 feet 2 inches or 188 centimetres

Weight

176 pounds or 80 kilograms

Relationship status

In a relationship

Girlfriend

Cindy Kimberly

Profession

Professional soccer player

Current team

Super Lig club Besiktas

Social media presence

Instagram, Twitter

Dele Alli's age

The professional soccer player is 26 years of age as of November 2022. His zodiac sign is Aries. He was born on 11 April 1996 in Milton Keynes, Buckinghamshire, England, to a Nigerian dad, Kehinde Kenny and an English mom, Denise. However, his parents partially raised him as they later divorced a few months after his birth.

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After his parents' divorce in 1996, his dad travelled to the United States of America, and his mother remarried and got three other kids. At the age of 13, his mother suffered from alcoholism which resulted in him moving into the family of Alan and Sally Hickford.

Alli studied at the Stantonbury Campus in north Milton Keynes and The Radcliffe School in Wolverton.

Dele Alli's age
Besiktas' midfielder during the Turkish Super Lig match against Trapzonspor at Stadion Vodafone Park on 16 October 2022 in Istanbul, Turkey. Photo: Orange Pictures
Source: Getty Images

Dele Alli's nationality

The midfielder is an English national of mixed ethnicity. In 2022, reports suggest Alli's height at 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m) and weighing 78 kilograms or 171 pounds.

Does Dele Alli have a wife?

As of November 2022, the football player is dating Cindy Kimberly, an Instagram sensation. He was previously in a relationship with Ruby Mae, a famous beauty and fashion blogger on Instagram. They separated in 2020.

Dele Alli and Pep Guardiola's daughter

After the attacking midfielder broke up with the Instagram sensation Ruby Mae, he was spotted kissing Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola's daughter, Maria Guardiola, in a pub in London later in 2021.

Dele Alli's career stats

Dele debuted on the soccer scene when he joined the youth team of MK Dons at the age of 11. By the time he was 16 years of age, he had made his premier with the first team and scored his first goal against Cambridge.

After that goal, he gained momentum as it was more of a jump-start. He then made several appearances for the English Under-17/18/19/21 teams. After some time, he became a regular of the MK Dons in the 2013/14 season.

He spent two seasons at Milton Keynes Dons before he agreed to sign with Tottenham Hotspur on 2 February 2015 on a five-and-a-half-year deal for an initial fee of $5 million. At Tottenham, he played for seven seasons before moving to a fellow Premier League side Everton on 31 January 2022 on an initial free transfer which could rise to $40 million if certain performance benchmarks are met.

Does Dele Alli have a wife?
Besiktas' midfielder poses for a photo ahead of a press conference at BJK Nevzat Demir Facilities in Istanbul, Turkiye on 24 September 2022. Photo: Isa Terli
Source: Getty Images

Why did Dele Alli drop off?

What seemed like looking forward to greener pastures for Alli ended up being a fall from grace, as some would call it. He fell out of favour under successive Spurs managers and lost his place in the England squad. As a result, he moved to Everton to pursue a fresh start.

Has Dele Alli transferred from Everton?

On 25 August 2022, Alli joined the Turkish team from Everton on loan for the remainder of the 2022/23 season with an option to buy for the Turkish club. He scored his first goal in over a year in his second appearance for the club against Ankaragucu.

Where is Dele Alli playing now?

In 2022, the professional attacking midfielder plays for Super Lig club Besiktas, on loan from Premier League club Everton.

What did Mourinho say about Dele Alli?

During the 2019/20 season at Hotspur, the professional soccer player missed the start of the season due to severe injuries. He later returned to the team in the North London Derby on 1 September 2019 as a substitute and scored his first goal of the season.

In November 2019, after the club dismissed Mauricio, Jose Mourinho replaced him and played Alli as an attacking player just behind Harry Kane. However, after some time, he commented to Dele,

I always have to tell you what I think. Maybe inside you, you tell me to leave you alone, but I have to tell you exactly what I think. From the beginning, I had no doubts about your potential. I have seen you play incredible games and do incredible things, but I have always noticed that you have ups and downs.
There is a big difference between a player who stays consistent and a player who has moments, which makes the difference between a top player and a player with great potential.

Which eventually gave Alli greater freedom and a go-ahead to score. To a surprise, he scored three goals in his first three games under Mourinho, two of which were against Bournemouth. However, it needed to be more impressive.

Dele Alli's Instagram

The Tottenham attacking midfielder, Dele Alli is on Instagram with over 7.9 million followers as of 12 November 2022. He often posts photos and videos documenting his life. He is also on Twitter and has amassed over 1.9 million followers.

What happened to Dele Alli could happen to any soccer player. However, the secret is picking yourself up and chasing your dreams regardless of what may come forth. Dele is an up-and-coming professional who has fought the eyes of millions.

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Authors
Lenah Ann photo
Lenah Ann
Lenah Ann is a Kenyan-based content creator with 2 years of experience. She graduated with a Bachelor's Degree in Mass Media and Communication from Dedan Kimathi, Kenya in 2021.