Jamie Carragher has said that Tottenham Hotspur midfielder Dele Alli's petulance could actually help him become a top player.

While no one can question Alli's abilities, the young midfielder has had his moments of unsavory incidents of ill-discipline during matches and he was caught on camera aiming a punch at the rib cage of Claudio Yacob during Tottenham's 1-1 draw against West Bromwich Albion on Monday night.

Many feel that Alli should eradicate such aspect from his game completely but Liverpool legend Carragher actually feels the competitiveness the young star possesses could actually help him become a world-class player if he can fine tune his sometimes irrational behaviour.

Carragher said on Sky Sports: "He's been involved in these things now and again. There was the Europa League game against Fiorentina earlier this season [when he kicked out at a player who was on the floor].

"You like the fact that he's got something about him. From the start of the game Yacob wound Alli up. Alli wasn't too happy about a challenge early on, so right from the start he fell into a bit of a trap.

"People will try and wind him up because they know he's got a bit of a short temper. There's a little right hook to the rib cage there. These were the type of situations Wayne Rooney was involved in earlier in his career. A fireband, who wanted to be involved and be very competitive.

"That's what Alli's like. Tonight, that match is going to be a massive learning curve for him. Situations like that, especially next season with Spurs in the Champions League, foreign referees, he's going to be in situations with people winding him up."