Tottenham Hotspur boss Mauricio Pochettino has suggested that expectations are currently too high regarding the development of midfielder Dele Alli.
The 21-year-old has contributed eight goals and 13 assists from 34 appearances in the Premier League and Champions League this season, but it has largely been perceived that the England international has under-performed during the current campaign.
Alli also failed to start in the Three Lions' most recent fixtures against the Netherlands and Italy, but Pochettino has called for less pressure to be placed on the shoulders of the playmaker.
The 46-year-old is quoted by Sky Sports News as saying: "I have full confidence in him and his talent and because I know him - he is a great kid and a very good person but he is young. He is 21. If you compare with normal people on the street who are 21, they are still living at home with their parents, they are still at university doing stupid things.
"Sometimes we expect too much and we put too much pressure on 21-year-old players. Sometimes we forget and treat them like 40-year-old men.
"It's not like this. We need to be focused on him being still a kid. It's a lot of pressure on his shoulders and not always can he act how the people and the society expect. That is so important to understand."
Alli is expected to start when Spurs face Chelsea at Stamford Bridge on Sunday.
Darren Plant
