Dele Alli has revealed that his relationship with former boss Mauricio Pochettino was a close one and other managers failed to replicate such a bond.
Pochettino brought Dele to Tottenham Hotspur back in 2015 from League One side Milton Keynes Dons, and the midfielder quickly kicked on and became one of Europe's best young players.
Dele twice hit double figures of goals in the Premier League and was a starter in Spurs' only Champions League final.
However, Pochettino was sacked by Tottenham in 2019 and replaced by Jose Mourinho. Despite starting life well under the Portuguese coach, Dele was then ostracised by Mourinho and failed to make lasting impressions under successors Nuno Espirito Santo and Antonio Conte.
Dele signed for Everton in January 2022 before joining Besiktas on loan for the 2022/23 season.
Speaking in an emotional and wide-ranging interview on The Overlap with Gary Neville, Dele opened up on how important Pochettino was in his life and career.
"Poch was...I couldn't have asked for a better manager for the time I was in. Him and his team, Jesus [Perez], Miguel [D'Agostino], Toni [Jimenez]. Amazing people and so understanding," he said.
"It wasn't like a footballer-and-manager relationship, it was deeper. I felt that was what I needed at that time.
"He was just so understanding of the decisions I was making and he cared about me as a person before football, which is what I needed at that time. I think that's important for young players. When you go somewhere [new], it can be quite scary. I never had that fear of trying to prove myself in that sense, he was giving me that platform to express myself the best I could.
"Players always used to say that I was fearless. I weren't fearless, I was just brave, I think there's a big difference. Because I was scared of things. I think being brave, you feel the fear still but you still do it. That's something he allowed me to do.
"I think he helped a lot in that period of my career. That's why it was tough for me when he left. Then you come into new managers and it was hard for me to let anyone in at that point, to be open, and I felt everything was so fake when managers would speak to me. I just felt like the conversations weren't real."
When pushed by Neville to explain what he meant by 'fake', Dele replied: "It's hard to explain. It's probably more me in my own head, my own ego. I weren't open to let anyone in and I felt like any of them wanted to really know me in a personal level, which was tough for me to fully commit and give my everything for them, which obviously had a negative impact on me in the long run."
Pochettino was recently unveiled as Chelsea's new head coach, and he was asked about Dele at his introductory press conference.
"I hope to have some time to call and see because he is a great guy and I want to talk a bit with him. I want to help him and see what is going on. He's still young. For sure, he has the mentality." the Argentine said.
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This article was originally published on 90min as Dele Alli discusses 'deep' relationship with Mauricio Pochettino.
