Tottenham Hotspur

Mauricio Pochettino: 'Dele Alli not ready for England'

By Pascal Lemesre, Football League Editor | 25 September 2015

Tottenham Hotspur head coach Mauricio Pochettino does not feel that 19-year-old Dele Alli is ready to play for the England senior team yet.

Mauricio Pochettino has said that Tottenham Hotspur starlet Dele Alli is not yet ready for a senior England call-up.

Alli, 19, has made seven appearances in all competitions in his first season for Spurs and reportedly impressed England boss Roy Hodgson, who watched him play all 90 minutes against Crystal Palace last weekend and will again take a look at him tomorrow against Manchester City.

However, Pochettino feels that it is too early in Alli's career for a senior international call-up.

"Be careful with the younger players, the players who arrive in the Premier League and perform well. It's not easy," Pochettino told reporters. "But again, like last season, it's not my decision. It's Roy Hodgson's decision if he wants to call up Dele Alli.

"You can see he's a player that is very mature and shows great quality but always in football it's step by step and we need to be careful.

"He will mature. He has personality and good character. But it is too much of a rush to talk about bigger steps for him."

Alli made his debut at Under-21 level for England earlier this month against Norway.