Murphy: Alli can go right to the very top at Spurs

The sky is the limit for Dele Alli at Tottenham Hotspur – according to former midfielder Danny Murphy.

Alli has been in sublime form of late for Spurs, scoring three consecutive doubles over the festive period against Southampton, Watford and Chelsea in the Premier League.

While still only 20-years-old, the former MK Don has established himself as a Premier League star and an England first-team regular.

And while his goalscoring record is impressive – Spurs are yet to lose a league game in which he has scored – it is his maturity that most impresses former Liverpool and England man Murphy.

“First of all, he’s playing with a maturity beyond his years. I remember when I first went to Liverpool, it took me a couple of seasons to really settle in. He’s taken it all in his stride. In terms of his ability, he’s a super athlete, tall, quick, looks like he can run all day but matched with that, technically he’s very good as well,” he said.

“His biggest quality on the pitch, for me, is the timing of his runs. He is exceptional at that and that is what gets him into the positions to score the goals. He knows when to go and he finds space, that’s his biggest quality.

“He’s ahead of his time in terms of football maturity and game intelligence. It’s not something you see, it’s something he’s got.

(Photo by Dan Mullan/Getty Images)

“Everything else you see with your eyes, if that makes sense, so you might go and ask ten fans ‘what is Dele’s biggest quality’ and you’ll get different answers – his pace, his running, his finishing – but that maturity is something that you know when you’ve played.

“You are watching him and you think ‘he’s got no fear’. He’s playing with the confidence you normally only get after playing 100 or 200 games, not after five minutes of being in the Premier League!

“He now has to make sure that he continues to learn from the coaches at Spurs – he’s clearly learned a lot from Mauricio Pochettino – and he needs to maintain his discipline and desire. There is no end to how far he can go with his ability.”