Chelsea manager and former coach of Dele Alli at Tottenham, Mauricio Pochettino, admitted that he couldn’t bring himself to watch the entire emotional interview between Alli and Gary Neville.
Alli recently opened up about being sexually abused at the age of six, engaging in drug dealing just two years later, battling a sleeping pill addiction, and his recent completion of rehab to address mental health challenges.
Pochettino intends to meet with Alli after Chelsea’s pre-season tour of the United States to offer support and discuss the situation.
In an exclusive chat with ESPN, the 51-year-old Argentinian said: “Of course, it was really tough for me to see him. I didn’t finish the interview because it was so painful.
“He knows how we [Pochettino and his coaching staff] love him, how important he is for us as a person.
“Like a player, he was amazing. But like a person, he has a big, big heart. And of course, we are in contact.
“After the USA tour I hope to see him in London, to meet him and give him a big hug.
“Always, it is tough when you love a person but they show in an interview like this, it is really, really painful.
“But he is a strong, unbelievable guy and for sure he will become stronger.”
As Chelsea prepare for thier first pre-season game tonight against League Two newcomers Wrexham in Chapel Hill, North Carolina, Pochettino is likely to see more players head for the exit.
Star names including Mason Mount, N’Golo Kante, Kai Havertz and Mateo Kovacic have already departed this summer as the Blues look to erase the memory of a dismal 2022-23 campaign.
And Poch expects striker Romelu Lukaku to be the next to leave. He added: “It is obvious what is going on with him.
“I think in between the club and the player, they share the same similar ideas and we are working on that to try to fix it and have the best solution for both parties.”