Dele Alli eyes starting spot for Manchester United trip

Tottenham Hotspur midfielder Dele Alli has revealed that he is hopeful his performances in pre-season have put him in contention to start Saturday's Premier League opener against Manchester United.

Alli signed for Spurs in January after months of speculation linking him with a move to the top flight.

Despite suggestions that he could be loaned out this season, the 19-year-old has impressed in pre-season and his performance in Tuesday's loss to Real Madrid put him in the spotlight once again.

"I did think about how far I had come a bit after the game," he is quoted as saying by The Mirror. "But hopefully I am going to play in many big games now, so I can't afford to get carried away with it.

"Hopefully I can get into the team for the Manchester United game, which feels a bit unreal saying that. I know it is a cliché but I am just going to focus on each game as they come and try to do as well as I can."

Alli scored 16 goals in 39 League One appearances for MK Dons last season.