'A major asset': Glenn Hoddle says Spurs have a truly 'wonderful' talent in their ranks

Spurs legend Glenn Hoddle has waxed lyrical about Dele Alli, urging Tottenham boss Nuno Espirito Santo to play him in the right position.

Alli has struggled for Spurs in recent seasons, and is currently out of first-team contention once again.

Last season, the 25-year-old struggled for game time under former Tottenham boss Jose Mourinho.

Indeed, he was reportedly close to leaving in January amid links with Mauricio Pochettino’s Paris Saint-Germain.

This term, Nuno Espirito Santo reinstated Alli back to the starting XI, and he did well initially.

However, he now finds himself struggling for game time once again, having sat on the bench for Spurs’ last three Premier League games.

On Wednesday, Alli didn’t even make the Carabao Cup matchday squad to face Burnley.

“Dele is a major asset”

The Spurs midfielder has often featured in a more defensive position, and Hoddle feels he should be playing further up.

“Dele is a major asset,” Hoddle told The Sun. “Playing at his best, he would score more goals than Foden and Mount.

“He is a midfielder who gets in the box. He is a box threat, rather than a deeper player who is a builder and you can build your game around.

“His biggest attribute is his ability to get into the box. And when he gets back to doing that, he will show us why he was so highly rated.

“But at the moment he has lost his goalscoring ability and I don’t think he is being played in a role where he is being told to get into the box.”

“As a manager, he should be one of your team’s major assets. When Dele gets into the box, he is a wonderful player.

“You would want him in any team because goalscoring midfielders are hard to come by.”