Jose Mourinho was thrilled with Dele Alli’s hard-working, committed display as Tottenham cruised past Wolfsberger in the Europa League.
The England midfielder was in inspired form at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on Wednesday evening, netting a superb bicycle kick early on and later providing assists for Gareth Bale and Carlos Vinicius as a thumping 4-0 last-32 second-leg victory sealed an emphatic 8-1 aggregate triumph and place in Friday’s round of 16 draw.
It was a masterful display from Dele, who has found opportunities difficult to come by during a frustrating season in north London, making just one solitary start in the Premier League to date.
And while his stunning individual goal will inevitably attract most of the post-match headlines, Mourinho was more content with his subsequent hard work for the team against Wolfsberger.
“We had a difficult period, he had an injury and at the same time talk, talk, talk about staying or leaving,” the Spurs boss said of Dele, who was denied a reunion with Mauricio Pochettino at Paris Saint-Germain during the January transfer window.
“The market closed, the injury went and he started working with motivation. He is playing very well, I am not saying in this moment we have a starting lineup because of so many matches, but it is coming.
“The goal was beautiful, but the meaning of the assists and hard work for the team means more to me. That work of continuity in the performance is what makes me really happy.”
