Mauricio Pochettino managed Dele Alli at Tottenham (Pictures: Getty)
Mauricio Pochettino plans to meet Dele Alli after Chelsea’s pre-season tour and give his former player a ‘big hug’ following his emotional and revealing interview with ex-England defender Gary Neville.
Dele, who played under Pochettino at Tottenham, revealed he had been sexually abused when he was six years old by a family friend.
The England midfielder told Manchester United legend Neville he started smoking aged seven and was dealing drugs one year later.
Dele, now 27, also revealed he had recently spent six weeks in rehab for mental health issues and a sleeping pill addiction.
‘Of course, it was really tough for me to see him,’ Pochettino told ESPN. ‘I didn’t finish the interview because it was so painful.
‘He knows how we [Pochettino and his coaching staff] love him, how important he is for us as a person. Like a player, he was amazing but like a person he has a big, big heart.
‘And of course, we are in contact. After the USA tour I hope to see him in London, to meet him and give him a big hug.
Alli loved playing under the now Chelsea manager (Picture: Getty)
‘Always, it is tough when you love a person but they show in an interview like this, it is really, really painful. But he is a strong, unbelievable guy and for sure he will become stronger.’
Dele emerged as one of the best young players in the Premier League under Spurs boss Pochettino but his career has stagnated in recent years.
The playmaker struggled under Pochettino’s replacement Jose Mourinho and has made just 13 appearances for Everton, who he joined in January 2022.
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‘Pochettino – I couldn’t have asked for a better manager, him and his team are amazing people,’ Dele said.
‘It wasn’t like a footballer and a manager relationship, it was deeper than that and that was what I needed at the time.
‘He was so understanding of the decisions I was making. He cared about me as a person before the football.’
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‘It was really tough for me to see him like that.’
