‘Fears he was going to retire’ – Dele Alli told how to recover from injury nightmare that has ruined Everton spell & raised future questions ahead of free agency

The former England international has not played a competitive game since February 2023, during a forgettable loan spell at Besiktas. He has sat out the entire current campaign at Everton, leaving him on just 13 appearances for the Toffees since completing a transfer from Tottenham in January 2022.

Dele has endured issues on and off the field, with another groin operation keeping him sidelined since January. The 28-year-old has spoken of his desire to recover peak form, ahead of hitting free agency in the summer, and is hopeful that a return to full fitness is not too far away.

There is, however, much work for him to do in order to rebuild lost confidence and reputation, with Dr Rajpal Brar – a specialist in physical therapy and sports science – telling Goodison News of what Dele needs from here: “There were fears he was going to retire, as per his own admission in an interview last year. Recently, he appeared on Sky Sports and it appears that his rehab is on track and he’s closing in on a return to full training after a long-term injury setback. My advice to him would be to simply focus on himself – both mentally and physically – and worry about the day to day. He cannot control the external factors, the only thing he can control is how he’s attacking his recovery. Focus on that process and see where it goes.”

Dele has left the door open for Everton to offer him a contract extension, but such a deal appears unlikely. That means a new challenge will be taken on for 2024-25, with the former Spurs midfielder waiting to see whether a Premier League approach is made or whether a step backwards needs to be taken before moving forward again.