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| Chelsea's Argentinian head coach Mauricio Pochettino (R) congratulates Chelsea's English midfielder #20 Cole Palmer (L) as he is substituted during the English Premier League football match between Chelsea and Everton at Stamford Bridge in London on April 15, 2024. |
Chelsea boss Mauricio Pochettino could not help but show his sheer delight to see Dele Alli after the former Tottenham midfielder appeared on Monday Night Football.
Dele, who is now at Everton, swapped the pitch for the studio to provide analysis of their trip to Chelsea as he continues to recover from an injury that has stopped him from playing a single minute this season. He last featured on loan for Besiktas in February 2023 and has struggled with hip and groin injuries.
This was Dele's his first media appearance since his powerful interview with Gary Neville on the Overlap last year. That saw the 28-year-old open up about his childhood trauma, the pressures that come with being a professional footballer and his mental health battle, something which left Neville in tears.
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However, during his appearance on Monday Night Football with Jamie Carragher and David Jones, Dele had the opportunity to reunite with Pochettino in a pre-match interview. Pochettino beamed as he spoke to Dele via studio connection after the pair spent four successful years together at Spurs.
"Good evening, this is new for me, I was in my managers room watching your interview earlier," Pochettino said on Sky Sports. "I need to talk now. I cannot see you but I want to say hello to Dele. What a player, oh my goodness, oh my goodness. It's good to see you there and I am happy to see you."
Having not played a competitive game for 14 months, Dele is "excited" for his return to football. It has been a difficult path for the ex-MK Dons midfielder, but he is determined to get back on the pitch and show exactly what he is capable of.
He said: "I'm doing well. I think when I did the interview I said it's the best I've felt, at that time. Obviously coming out of rehab and getting ready to be back playing. It's been tough but it's a journey that I'm on but I'm enjoying it and I'm ready to get back now."
Dele added: "I've had to be patient and really learn what patience is. It's been a long journey with the [groin] injury. A lot of ups and downs and it’s helped me grow as a person. I’m not thankful to be injured but to have this opportunity to get to know myself. I think the pain of the injury is something I can channel when I am back and use it to motivate me.
"After the interview a lot of people asked me, 'When are you coming back to football?' and they thought I was taking a break. It's just been an injury problem, one that I'm hopefully getting to the end of. I can see the light at the end of the tunnel and I'm excited."
