Nigeria lost Dele Alli to power tussle, Fashanu claims

Former Wimbledon FC captain, John Fashanu, says the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) should be blamed over the nation’s inability to lure Dele Alli to play for the Super Eagles instead of the Three Lions of England.

Dele Alli joined Tottenham Hotspurs two year ago from MK Dons, a team Fashanu has strong links with and the teenager is now proving his worth in his first season at White Hart Lane and now an England international.

Fashanu in a chat with owngoalnigeria.com. revealed he could have been playing for Nigeria as he made contact with the teenager during his loan spell at MK Dons but got zero support from the NFF in trying to woo him.

“I used my connections at the team to get through to him (Alli) and we spoke at length but he request we meet his dad as he was just 17 then and too young to make such a decision,” he told owngoalnigeria.

“However when I got through to the NFF as I need travel with them to have talks with his parents, nobody was willing to listen to me as they were back then involved in a power tussle, that was how we lost Alli to England.”

Alli was a key player for England at the last European championship took place in France last year.