Frank Lampard hits back at Glenn Hoddle over Dele Alli comments on BT Sport
Everton manager Frank Lampard has thrown his support behind new signing Dele Alli after the Englishman was criticised without even playing against Brentford.
The 25-year-old emerged at half-time alongside fellow deadline day signing Donny van de Beek to be unveiled to the Goodison Park crowd but Glenn Hoddle was far from pleased.
The former England manager scolded Alli on BT Sport for his clothing choice on the day and Lampard hasn’t taken too kindly to his opinion.
“I thought he’d just got dragged off the street, to be honest,” Hoddle said, as quoted by the Express, “If I’m an Everton fan, you’re going to a new club. Put a tracksuit on at least or something.”
The new Toffees boss responded in his press conference (also quoted by The Express) by saying: “I don’t care what car he drives, what clothes he wears.
“As long as he respects his teammates. Maybe Donny wears a longer overcoat, Dele a different coloured jacket.
“As long as they’re doing the right footballing things, I’m not bothered.”
Ultimately irrelevant
By the time Everton kick-off against Newcastle United on Tuesday (8 February), everyone will have forgotten what Alli wore on Saturday.
If he goes on to great things on Merseyside, Toffees won’t be bothered if he had turned up in a mankini, they just want players who are going to perform.
Perhaps it is a sign of Hoddle’s age that he was so unhappy with the Englishman’s clothing choices.
He, ultimately, has free choice to wear what he likes when he isn’t on official duty with the club so why shouldn’t he be a little flashy every now and then.
Some people forget that footballers have the right to spend big on clothes and cars because they have earned their money.
Whether they are worthy of the amount they receive or not is up to your opinion but you’d struggle to find someone who wouldn’t spend big if they were earning the same amount.
It really doesn’t matter what clothes he wore against Brentford as long as he is in the blue and playing at his best at Goodison Park.
In other Everton news, our predicted XI for the Newcastle game has some big calls on Alli and van de Beek.