Mauricio Pochettino Compares Dele Alli to Diego Maradona & Ronaldinho Due to Special 'Charisma'

Former Tottenham boss Mauricio Pochettino has likened Dele Alli to footballing icons Diego Maradona and Ronaldinho due to his special on-pitch 'charisma'.

Dele established himself as a prodigious talent under Pochettino at Spurs following his unassuming arrival from MK Dons in 2015.

Often deployed off the shoulder of Harry Kane, Dele was able to produce at a prolific rate under the Argentine. During his first two years at Spurs, the 24-year-old registered a staggering 28 goals and 18 assists, garnering a pair of PFA Young Player of the Year awards in the process.

The then-teenager became a symbol of Poch's youthful, exciting and energetic Spurs, with the Argentine hailing Dele's star quality during his recent appearance on Sky Sports' Monday Night Football, even comparing him to a pair of greats.

"It is impossible to say another player was or will be better than Diego Maradona," the former Spurs boss said.

"Maradona was a talented, gifted player but was also strong, quick and powerful but his character is that of a winner. The charisma and energy made him so special - the charisma was the best attribute he had.

"Another player with similar charisma is Ronaldinho when we played at Paris Saint-Germain.

"And of course at the start with Dele Alli - he was also in this way with this type of charisma. People love Dele.

"I don't want to talk too much but when Dele came scoring goals, kids loved him. Kids feel this energy and charisma, they love it and follow it. Ronaldinho, like Maradona, has this special energy."

Despite his meteoric rise, the last 18 months have, undoubtedly, been a tricky period in Dele's career. This season, he's been left out of five of Jose Mourinho's seven Premier League matchday squads and is seemingly yet to convince the Portuguese coach that he can facilitate a turnaround.

Pochettino refused to comment on Dele's situation under Mourinho but backed his former star to once again shine: "They need to manage him - it's no longer my responsibility.

"Dele was an amazing player for us from the beginning when he arrived from MK Dons.

"He's an amazing talent for England and, of course, is still young. We built a special relationship with the whole team. I hope everything goes well for everyone there," he humbly added.