He might be represented by David Beckham’s former publicist and share a commercial agent with Cristiano Ronaldo and Tom Cruise, but right now Dele Alli is not exactly sitting among the stars.
For the second time in a few days, he was among England’s substitutes on Tuesday night, reduced to a role that he might have thought was beneath a player Mauricio Pochettino considers the finest young midfielder in world football.
Gareth Southgate appears to think differently, even if he suggested before this friendly against Italy that his decision to once again omit the 21-year-old was influenced mostly by fitness concerns.