Age: 21

Position: Midfield

Club: Tottenham Hotspur

Country: England

Watched: : England 2-1 Slovakia (Monday 4th September 2017)

Performance: 7 out of 10

Potential: 10 out of 10

A playground footballer who will not be bullied. My simple annotation of Milton Keynes born Bambidele Jermaine Alli.

When people criticise talented young players for being hot headed, for signs of petulance and for the naivety in their game I often find it short-sighted, what genius doesn’t have a bit of an edge? Maradona? Zidane? Cruyff? They played with passion, with swagger, with half a mind on themselves getting kicked around the park. Alli is no different. He has to be able to defend himself.

Alli is far from the finished article, but what he does have is the raw qualities to be a real great. Tall, powerful, skilful, a great engine, an eye to make things happen, the know when to get forward and the ability to score goals. A dynamic attacking midfielder that can unlock defences with a picked pass, well timed run or mazy dribble.

And at 21 he is already a key cog in both his club side Tottenham and his national side England’s play.

After starting off at MK Dons he played 88 games in the lower divisions before Spurs paid £5m for his services. Alli has since grown in to a top class footballer with potentially the world at his feet. If he can control his aggression, and if he channels it in the right way, I have no doubt he’ll be one of England’s top players for many years to come. Lay off his attitude and start to believe the hype.