Former Tottenham chief David Pleat has revealed his role in their deal for Dele Alli.

Pleat convinced chairman Daniel Levy to do the deal and Alli has developed into one of Mauricio Pochettino's most important players.

He told talkSPORT: “I had seen a lot of Dele Alli and I was convinced.

“I had spoken to [Spurs technical director Franco] Baldini, I spoke to all sort of people about him, I was pushing, pushing, pushing.

“It wasn't clever. He'd played about 75, 80 games regularly in men's football for a team called MK Dons, nice people, just down the road. I saw a lot of him and I was convinced, given the opportunity, that he would do well.

“So, just before the deadline on, I think it was the January, I was going to a game at Luton and it was Daniel Levy [on the phone] and Daniel said to me, 'This boy Alli, we hear he's going to have a medical or he's going to talk to Villa and to Newcastle. What do you think?'

“I said, 'Mr Chairman, it's a no brainer!' and he said to me, 'Yes, but they want £5m for him.'

“I said, 'Chairman, it's a no brainer. I would take him at £5m, you can't lose on him. If we are sympathetic, if we encourage him, I've got every hope for this particular boy,' and of course he took my advice."