Jamie Redknapp has urged Tottenham star Dele Alli to calm down and grow up.
The high-profile pundit warned the England international, 21, that he is “too concerned” by what his opponents are doing rather than concentrating on his own performance.
Alli has had a mixed start to the season in which he has scored three goals from eight matches but been caught up in a number of controversies, the latest of which was a diving incident in Spurs’ weekend demolition of Huddersfield.
“This time last season, we were all talking about Dele Alli’s world-class, all-action displays,” Redknapp wrote in his weekly Mail column. “Now he is grabbing headlines by getting involved in silly incidents.
“When Dele is on top of his game, he is unplayable. He is a joy to watch and I am one of his biggest fans. But at the moment, he’s not playing to the best of his ability.
“He seems far too concerned by what his opponents are doing rather than his own performance. Dele is still a very young player but he must learn to shut out these distractions. We want to get back to talking about his brilliance.”
OPINION
Alli’s playing style is mature beyond his years and marks him out as a world-class star in the making. It appears that the only thing that could stop his ascent to greatness is his petulant attitude. It is unedifying and a barrier to his own performance. He is not alone among top-rankers in getting involved in stupid and unnecessary on-pitch battles, but he also must learn from it and ensure he makes the most of his own stupendous talent. Making mistakes is fine. Making mistakes and constantly repeating them is less forgiveable.