“I had spoken to [Spurs technical director Franco] Baldini, I spoke to all sort of people about him, I was pushing, pushing, pushing.
“It wasn’t clever. He’d played about 75, 80 games regularly in men’s football for a team called MK Dons, nice people, just down the road.
"I saw a lot of him and I was convinced, given the opportunity, that he would do well.
“So, just before the deadline on, I think it was the January, I was going to a game at Luton and it was Daniel Levy and Daniel said to me, ‘This boy Alli, we hear he’s going to have a medical or he’s going to talk to Villa and to Newcastle. What do you think?’
Dele Alli cost Tottenham £5million when he joined (Image: GETTY)
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“I said, ‘Mr Chairman, it’s a no brainer!’ and he said to me, ‘Yes, but they want £5m for him.’
“I said, ‘Chairman, it’s a no brainer. I would take him at £5m, you can’t lose on him. If we are sympathetic, if we encourage him, I’ve got every hope for this particular boy,’ and of course he took my advice.”
Alli is now a key part of the Spurs side, having signed a new five-and-a-half-year contract to remain at the club until 2024 last year.
The delighted England international tweeted: "Would like to say a big thank you to everyone at the club - chairman, manager, all my team-mates and the fans for their constant support.
"I've loved my time at Spurs so far and I'm very excited to see what the future holds! COYS".
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