Roberto Carlos has talked up the ability of Dele Alli, insisting that the Tottenham Hotspur and England midfielder possesses “the swagger that Brazilians have”.
Alli heads to the World Cup with his national side on the back of a mixed campaign at club level, having fallen below his high standards of 2016-17 but still managing to register nine goals and 10 assists in the Premier League.
The 22-year-old stood out against one of Carlos’s former clubs in Madrid during a Champions League encounter in the first half of the campaign, scoring twice in a famous 3-1 win for his side, and the legendary Brazil full-back expects big things from Alli in Russia this summer.
“England are one of the favourites after Brazil. But I really like Dele Alli – he’s a lot like a Brazilian player,” he told The Mirror.
“I saw him at the Real Madrid against Spurs game and he was really impressive. He’s tall and has real ability – a very good player. He has the swagger that Brazilians have.”
Alli has scored twice in 25 appearances for England, earning his most recent cap in the 2-0 friendly win against Costa Rica on Thursday evening.