Tottenham Hotspur manager Mauricio Pochettino has insisted that he has "no worries" about Dele Alli's ability to handle the growing hype around him.
The 19-year-old has established himself as a key player for club and country in his first season at the highest level, with former Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson labelling him the most talented young midfielder since Paul Gascoigne.
Pochettino admits that he has been surprised by Alli's meteoric rise to the top, but believes that the former MK Dons man is equipped to deal with it.
"It's very good praise from one of the best managers in football history. I can only agree with [Ferguson]. Am I worried about the hype? No, you can see the whole season how he has managed the pressure. He is very calm, very mature. He has managed the pressure and the popularity and how to be a senior player and play for the national team. He is very calm," Pochettino told reporters.
"We always need to be aware and look after him. We have a lot of control about that. Only he can go down if you are not aware but we look after him in a good way. Now he is fresh, at a good level, he has a good mentality. He is mature enough. We have no worries about his future. There is always a question mark with a young player.
"You can assess his left and right foot, his performance on the pitch and in training. But how a young player can be affected by the big things that happen in football, being a senior player, being in the national team, this is always a question mark. You can be aware and try to support him but I think that all the same it has surprised us how he has shown maturity."
Alli has scored seven goals and registered 12 assists to help Tottenham challenge for the Premier League title this season.
Barney Corkhill
