“I wanted a name on my shirt that represented who I am and I feel I have no connection with the Alli surname,” the England international, 20, told the Tottenham website ahead of his side’s opening game at Everton.
“This is not a decision I have taken without a lot of thought and discussion with family close to me.”
Dele Alli will have just ‘DELE’ on the back of his match shirt
Alli’s mother, Denise, revealed earlier this year that she gave her son away when he was 13 as she was battling alcoholism.He was raised by another couple, Alan and Sally Hickford.
The England international was handed over to a couple, Alan and Sally Hickford, who he is said to call his adoptive parents.
Alli enjoyed a great season at Spurs, ending the term with 10 league goals and nine assists, having joined the club in February 2015.
His impressive performance at White Hart Lane was no doubt the reason why he was selected for Roy Hodgson’s England squad for the Euro 2016 championship.
Alli scored 10 Premier League goals and provided nine assists last season, earning him the Professional Footballers’ Association (PFA) Young Player of the Year award and a place in England’s Euro 2016 squad.
