'I was a better player than Dele Alli,' jokes Tottenham manager Mauricio Pochettino

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Sam Long13 October 2016

Mauricio Pochettino has joked that both he and Jermaine Jenas were better players than current Tottenham midfielder Dele Alli.

Alli burst onto the scene last season and has established himself as a key member of Pochettino's young side.

The 20-year-old is regarded as one of the brightest young talents in world football but Pochettino, who was a hardened central defender during his career, has made a tongue-in-cheek claim about his ability.

"We were better than Dele - of course!" he told Jenas as part of an interview on the Premier League Show.

Alli, along with several other players at White Hart Lane, has thrived under Pochettino's guidance.

The Argentine coach is not afraid to put his faith in youth and has revealed he decided his future was in coaching long before his days as a player were over.

"I was 27. I was playing at PSG and the manager was Luis Fernandez.

"At that moment I started to think in another way. Before I was always focused on myself but I started to think 'I like that.'

"Or 'why did the manager take that decision?' Or 'why a double training session?' Or 'why do we play 4-4-2?'"

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