On February 20, Tottenham Hotspur confirmed that Dele Alli will return to Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on Sunday as a special guest for the north London derby scheduled for 4:30pm (UK time).
Official Statement
Dele returns to Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on Sunday as our special guest for the north London derby (4.30pm UK).
Widely regarded as one of the club’s most beloved players of the modern era, the attacking midfielder scored 67 goals in 269 appearances across all competitions and won over supporters during his seven-year spell in North London from 2015 to 2022. His chant, “we’ve got Dele…,” was notably the first sung by fans at the new stadium before its opening night clash against Crystal Palace in April 2019.
Fans will have another opportunity to celebrate him at half-time on Sunday, when he is expected to revisit memorable Spurs moments alongside stadium announcer Paul Coyte.
Signed from Milton Keynes Dons in February 2015, Dele stayed with the club for the remainder of the 2014/15 campaign, helping them secure promotion from League One and earning the Football League Young Player of the Season award.
He made an immediate impact after joining Spurs, winning the PFA Young Player of the Year award and being named in the PFA Team of the Year in both 2015/16 and 2016/17. His brilliant turn and volley against Crystal Palace earned Match of the Day’s Goal of the Season for 2015/16. He scored twice in emphatic wins over Real Madrid CF in the UEFA Champions League and Chelsea FC at Stamford Bridge in 2017/18. He also found the net in a 3-1 victory over Chelsea in 2018/19 and added a delicate chip in a Carabao Cup win at Arsenal FC to his highlight reel. He assisted Lucas Moura’s famous Champions League semi-final winner at AFC Ajax, starting eight matches during the run to Madrid, including the final.
On the international stage, Dele represented England national football team at UEFA Euro 2016 and the 2018 FIFA World Cup, memorably scoring in the quarter-final victory over Sweden national football team as the Three Lions reached the semi-finals in Russia. He earned 37 caps for his country.
Dele joined Everton FC in February 2022 and has since had spells with Everton, Beşiktaş JK, and Como 1907.
