Dele Alli was a pundit for Sky Sports’ Monday Night Football last night, as Everton took on Chelsea.
It was an addition to the show that few expected, but given his last media appearance came during his emotional interview with Gary Neville in July last year, it was a welcome sight to see him back smiling with Dave Jones and Jamie Carragher.
And he was truly insightful too, not only offering a glimpse into his sprawling Premier League career but also what goes on in the Goodison Park dressing room.
However, perhaps his most important input was regarding the managerial changeover.
Dele Alli on the differences between Frank Lampard and Sean Dyche
Speaking live on Monday Night Football last night, Dele Alli was complimentary towards both of the managers who have overseen his short and injury-ravaged spell at Goodison Park.
First brought in by Frank Lampard and later inherited by Sean Dyche, the former Tottenham Hotspur superstar was particularly full of praise for the latter and the manner in which he has turned around Everton’s fortunes with a set-in-stone system at last.
And whilst it might not be the prettiest style, were it not for two deductions in one season they would now be miles clear of the bottom three.
During his speech, Dele actually sought to detail the differences between his two managers, outlining one particular piece of naivety that the Chelsea legend exhibited.
He noted: ‘He has supported me a lot. We have had a lot of very good conversations. For me, it was great to see.
‘I think when Frank was the manager and I joined, it was like the team wasn’t performing. Having a conversation with Frank before I joined, his ideas and the way he wanted to play, I don’t think he realised how difficult the job was going to be at Everton. But to go away and come back and see the transformation of the club, they had the points deducted, but if they didn’t have the points it more highlights the way the club is going.
‘Coming back and seeing a real identity, it was so clear. With Frank, it wasn’t his fault, but he wanted to play and press but the club was going through a transition.’
Frank Lampard joined Everton at the wrong time
Despite how terrible his record was during his spell at Everton, Lampard remains a well-liked figure on Merseyside.
After all, he was such an affable figurehead for the club, and for all his tactical shortcomings he was dealt an abysmal hand when he moved to Goodison Park.
Not only that, but under his watch they also acquired current fan favourites like Dwight McNeil, Amadou Onana and James Garner.
However, his attempts to play free-flowing football was another naive move, and backfired quickly.
Only once he realised that this side was not good enough to play good football did the results slowly come, and then in his second season he played seemingly without any tactical setup at all.
He was a progressive young manager who really bought into the football club, but the wrong person to manage Everton during such a crisis.