Everton midfielder Dele Alli admits he could have been on the other side of Merseyside.

Alli signed for the Toffees from Tottenham, but has struggled with injuries and mental health issues in his career.

As he returns to full fitness ahead of pre-season for the next campaign, he spoke about how close he came to joining Liverpool from MK Dons as a youngster.

Speaking on Monday Night Football, Alli stated: “So after the game, Liverpool would play in West Ham, I think in London.

“And then I went to meet Brendan Rodgers after that game, the night before the Liverpool game, and we had a conversation, but it never happened.

“I felt at that time I was ready to take the next step.

“I wanted to go [back to the Dons on loan] because, I wanted to see the team get promoted," Alli continued.

“Obviously it was my local team and we were second in the league. So I wanted to go back and try and help them finish that off. Because by that time, [I knew] I'd be definitely ready to go to the Premier League."