Tottenham boss Mauricio Pochettino says he had to give Dele Alli "more love than normal" following the midfielder's red card against Gent.
Alli was dismissed for a nasty lunge on Brecht Dejaegere last Thursday but retained his place in the Spurs line up for yesterday's Premier League fixture against Stoke.
And the midfielder produced a superb performance in a comfortable 4-0 victory over Mark Hughes' side to provide a fitting riposte to his critics.
Questions in regards to Alli's temperament have been forced back onto the agenda but Pochettino has offered the youngster unwavering support and is willing to draw a line under mistakes.
"For me he is one of the best young players in the world," Pochettino insisted.
"His character and the way he behaves sometimes he makes a mistake but I want him on the pitch and next to me.
"I think that we should keep private our conversations but you can imagine, I gave love, more love than normal.
"He is very mature - he was very sad [in midweek] he's only 20 years old and I will always protect him and always support him," the Argentine coach added.
In Pictures | Tottenham vs Stoke | 26/02/2017
Alli's strike against Stoke took his top-flight tally for the season to 12 - two more than he managed in his debut season in England's top tier.
Meanwhile, Harry Kane has scored 17 goals in 21 Premier league appearances and is the new favourite to win the Golden Boot award, with Pochettino adamant the striker is on track to become a Tottenham legend.
