Dele Alli changes name on Tottenham shirt for 'personal reasons'
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Published 12/08/2016 at 15:29 GMT
Dele Alli has decided to change the name on the back of his Tottenham shirt for this season because he doesn't feel he has any "connection" with his surname.
Tottenham Hotspur's English midfielder Dele Alli celebrates scoring his team's fourth goal during the English Premier League football match between Stoke City and Tottenham Hotspur at the Britannia Stadium in Stoke-on-Trent, central England on April 18, 2
Image credit: AFP
The 20-year-old will simply have "Dele" written above the number 20, which he keeps from last term.
The Tottenham Twitter account announced the decision on Friday when confirming the squad numbers. It said he had taken the decision for "personal reasons."
Alli added: "I wanted a name on my shirt that represented who I am and I feel I have no connection with the Alli surname.
"This is not a decision I have taken without a lot of thought and discussion with family close to me."
Alli had an exceptional season last term and helped lead Tottenham to the brink of the title before Mauricio Pochettino's men fell away in the last few games.
Tottenham's new signing Vincent Janssen will wear No 9, while Victor Wanyama will take No 12.
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