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Rio Ferdinand suggested there was more going on behind the scenes as Dele Alli was left searching for another new club. The former Tottenham star has reportedly been banished from Como's first-team squad by manager Cesc Fabregas, despite only joining the club in January. It was previously claimed that this had left Alli considering retirement from football at just 29, though this has since been shut down. The Englishman is instead looking for a new club after being told he is not part of Fabregas' plans going forward. This represents the latest setback for Alli, who has been dealt a series of tough blows in his attempts to revive his career in recent years. He was regarded as one of the most promising young players in world football at Spurs after joining in 2015, winning the PFA Young Player of the Year award in both 2016 and 2017. Alli earned 37 England caps, but things started to unravel after the departure of Mauricio Pochettino in 2019, as he failed to establish himself at next club Everton, and on loan at Besiktas. While a move to Como brought to an end a six-month spell without a club, he has made just one appearance for the club in this time. With Alli's time in Italy now up, Man United legend Ferdinand suggested there will be more than meets the eye with the Englishman's struggles on the pitch. On Alli, he said: “Wow, what a shame that is, isn't it?  That's another conundrum that you're looking at. "I saw an interview that they had on the documentary with Jose Mourinho - that hit home. Jose Mourinho, he was like Mystic Meg, the way that it panned out. “I think there's a lot more going on behind the scenes with Dele. I think it will be a nod to looking at players and going, actually, these guys aren't superhuman. “They are real human beings that do have issues as well, do have problems. If they're not addressed and they're not helped along the way at times, or they're not open for help, it can lead to situations like we've seen with Dele. “At one point in his career, people were saying numbers-wise he was doing more than Gerrard, Lampard, Scholes - like ridiculous.  The trajectory was like: ‘Woof! ' “He's obviously kind of fallen off a cliff, but the reasons I think are a lot deeper than we see. " His former MK Dons teammate, Dean Lewington admitted it is difficult to watch the once bright young talent struggle to rediscover his best form. He told talk SPORT Breakfast: "It's a shame.   “I think everyone thought Como was a good move - getting out of the limelight of England and going away and just getting his head down and playing games, it seemed like it would be the right move for him. “But it's just a shame it doesn't seem to have worked out, for whatever reason. “I think injuries are a big part. He just can't seem to get a run of games or get any football. And if you're not playing at his age, it causes other stuff as well.   “So it's just a shame that it's not quite worked out for him. ” Lewington also discussed the reasons for Alli's woes in recent years, some of which have been well documented. In 2023, Alli opened up on the mental health struggles and childhood trauma which halted his progress, while injuries have also played a part. Meanwhile, Lewington highlighted Tottenham's 2020 Amazon 'All or Nothing' documentary as having a negative effect, with a viral clip of the midfielder with former manager Jose Mourinho getting plenty of attention. In it, Mourinho told Alli he was 'f****** lazy' in front of his teammates in a team meeting. Lewington said: “I think those first three seasons at Tottenham, he won PFA Young, played a year twice. And his numbers and his stats were incredible.   “And the documentary that came out, I don’t think helped him.   “I think the change of manager, when Pochettino left, really affected him, and injuries and other stuff that he had going on. “But he just never seemed to be able to recapture those early years, where I think he was probably one of the most promising players in England for a few years at that time. ” Lewington's thoughts were echoed by Manchester United and England great Rio Ferdinand when he appeared on talk SPORT Breakfast later on. © 2025 talk SPORT Limited

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