Tottenham defender Eric Dier says Dele Alli brought a different dimension to his side in the 4-0 Premier League win against Sheffield United.
Alli has endured a difficult season having been frozen out by former boss Jose Mourinho, but Ryan Mason handed him just a third league start of the season against the Blades in a front four with Harry Kane, Son Heung-min and Gareth Bale.
It was an impressive attacking display by Spurs, with Alli – albeit a but rusty at times – playing a crucial link in the number 10 role.
Dier, who is big mates with Alli, revealed the 25-year-old has been working hard for his chance.
“I thought he played really well. From the inside I can tell you he’s been working really hard and trained really well,” he said. “And against Sheffield United he put that on the pitch.
“Everyone knows his qualities, but I think he also has a lot of qualities which go unnoticed. The amount of second balls he wins, the amount he runs for the team and presses.
“He’s always attached to the game, it’s like he’s on a string to the ball. He is always attached to the game in every moment and that’s a great quality to have.”
Dier had a pretty quiet evening against the Blades, meaning he had a great vantage point of a thrilling Tottenham display.
Bale stole the headlines with a sublime hat-trick, while Son scored the goal of the game with a brilliant curling effort.
And Dier enjoyed his front row seat.
“Obviously it’s a very nice feeling. It’s a luxury to play behind them and with all of their qualities I think they complement each other really well,” he added.
“They each have slightly different qualities and it’s a pleasure to play with them.
“There is a lot of firepower there and a lot to back it up – their history, their goals and assists, and what they have done in the game.
“I think we have a lot of quality up front, even off the bench. We have a lot of quality in attack that no opposition would like to come up against. That includes Lucas Moura, Steven Bergwijn, Erik Lamela and the others as well.
“We have a lot of options and they are all options nobody would like to play against.”
