Pochettino hails ‘killer’ instinct of Dele Alli

Mauricio Pochettino has labelled Dele Alli a “killer” and urged the Tottenham man to maintain a naughty side to his game.

Alli has been in scintillating form for Spurs this season and has already scored 11 goals, including seven in his last five outings.

The 20-year-old midfielder signed a new long-term deal at White Hart Lane at the start of the campaign and has proven to be a pivotal part of Pochettino’s side.

Alli has notched 20 goals in his first 52 Premier League games, a better scoring return than the likes of Paul Scholes, Frank Lampard and Steven Gerrard yielded at the same stage in their respective careers.

And Pochettino believes Alli’s lethal instinct is to thank for his seemingly natural eye for goal.

“Dele Alli, for me, he’s a killer because he’s very aggressive when he runs forward,” the Spurs head coach said.

“He’s desperate to go to the box and to get the ball and score. That is an unbelievable mentality and that is because he’s a very special player.

“He can play like an offensive player and he can play like a midfielder because of his characteristics. He can run box to box, he can run 12.5 or 13km, and all those characteristics make him a very special player.