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Dele Alli praised Mauricio Pochettino for caring about him as a person, as he opened up to Gary Neville in an emotional interview. The former Tottenham Hotspur star discussed the profound challenges he endured throughout his childhood and the long-lasting effects of trauma on his football career as he spoke on a powerful episode of The Overlap. “Mauricio Pochettino was the best manager and I couldn’t have asked for a better manager at the time,” Alli, 27, said of his time at Spurs. “It wasn’t like a footballer and a manager relationship. It was deeper than that, I felt. He was just so understanding of the decisions I was making, and he was guiding. He cared about me as a person before the football, which is what I needed at that time.”

Sheffield United have made Tunisia international Anis Slimane their first summer signing. The Blades have signed Slimane from Danish club Brondby on a three-year deal for an undisclosed fee, understood to be around £1.2million. The 22-year-old midfielder, who played for Tunisia in last year’s World Cup, told the club’s official website: “I like the culture of the club. I heard it is a hard-working club and that reminds me of myself. “I love to work hard, and I love to give everything – leave everything out on the pitch. At this club, nothing is given, everything is worked for. “I had a really good talk with the club and the manager and I felt that they had the right plan for me. The manager was really honest and I am excited to be here and looking forward to the Premier League. “It is a big opportunity and a big challenge, I am not coming here for a vacation. I have been through a lot in my career so far, even though I’m only 22, but I still have a lot to learn, and I am looking forward to learning every day.” Boss Paul Heckingbottom, whose club have also been linked with Ivorian winger Benie Traore, is delighted to sign a player with experience at such a young age. “He’s 22 but someone with a lot of experience. He’s played a lot of first-team games, been to a World Cup and someone who has continually gone up the ladder in terms of his levels,” Heckingbottom said. “He’s a technical player who can handle the ball really well and someone who works really hard. I think the fact that he’s played in a number of positions at international level and has been trusted in those positions shows he gets the game tactically. “Anis is someone we’ve known about since we first took the job here, really in that first window. We never really had the opportunity to do something until now and it has just coincided with his contract situation so the timing is really good for both of us.” The Blades are preparing for life back in the Premier League after two seasons away and are currently in a fight to keep star striker Iliman Ndiaye. The Senegal international is reportedly attracting interest from Marseille, but the PA news agency first revealed that he has been offered a bumper new deal by the South Yorkshire club. Read More Charity boss speaks out over ‘traumatic’ encounter with royal aide Ukraine war’s heaviest fight rages in east - follow live

Former Chelsea manager Frank Lampard has revealed he wanted to sign Declan Rice, believing the Arsenal-bound midfielder could have been the Blues’ long-term captain. Former Chelsea academy player Rice, who has since gone on to establish himself as an England regular under Gareth Southgate, captained West Ham to Europa Conference League glory last month ahead of his expected move to north London. Lampard, who managed Chelsea between 2019 and 2021 before returning for a stint as caretaker boss earlier this year, told the Diary of a CEO podcast: “I wanted to bring in Declan Rice. “I was like ‘this kid is going to be the captain of Chelsea for the next 10 years’. It didn’t happen, anyway, it is hard to dissect people’s work.” Lampard returned to the club as interim manager in April after Chelsea sacked Graham Potter but only managed one win in his 10 games in charge as the Blues finished 12th. Chelsea’s record goalscorer referred to the troubles he experienced with the oversized squad he inherited after the £600million-plus investment from Todd Boehly’s Clearlake Capital consortium since 2022. Lampard added: “The biggest thing about the low standards was the size of the squad. The motivation was tough with players outside the Champions League squad. “When I came in, very quickly I noticed that some players were thinking about the season’s going to peter out and what the future’s going to look like and that was a difficult situation. “When you have international players in a big number then of course you’re telling internationals to stay at home and it’s not easy, and to have the conversation with them every Friday and to get them lined up coming in is also not easy for your own energy. “I think there’s an understanding at the club that (squad size) has to change now, I think it has to change and if you lack those basics then it’s really hard to get where you want to get to.” I think it has to change and if you lack those basics then it's really hard to get where you want to get to Frank Lampard talks about Chelsea's squad on the Diary of a CEO podcast Chelsea have since appointed Mauricio Pochettino as their new manager and have streamlined their bloated squad by selling eight first-team players ahead of their pre-season tour to the United States. Lampard talked up Mason Mount, who is among those to have left Stamford Bridge this summer, signing for Manchester United earlier this month. “I think it’s a great signing,” Lampard said. “So in terms of what he’ll bring to Manchester United, it won’t just be what Mason brings, he will bring loads of talent, but he’s just going to go and (raise) the levels.” Read More Charity boss speaks out over ‘traumatic’ encounter with royal aide Ukraine war’s heaviest fight rages in east - follow live Andy Murray ‘will be devastated with Wimbledon exit – but can still win titles’ Ashley Young excited to work with Sean Dyche at Everton Chloe Kelly knows every England player needs to be ready at World Cup

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Ashley Young has joined Everton on a one-year deal. The 38-year-old winger turned full-back becomes the Toffees’ first summer signing, joining on a free transfer after his contract expired at Aston Villa. Young has signed a one-year deal at Goodison Park to work under manager Sean Dyche, who was his captain when first breaking through at Watford. “The manager was important in me signing,” the former England international and Manchester United captain said. “I know him and know what his passion and desire is like. His honesty, will to work hard and his hunger for the game is second to none. “I know things haven’t gone too well for Everton in the past couple of seasons but the manager’s ambition, speaking to him and hearing what he wants to do to change the club around, was a key factor in my decision. “The other is the size of Everton. It’s a massive club and the fanbase is one of the best. “Having them behind me is a fantastic opportunity. I’m delighted to get the opportunity to be here and I just want to get started now.” Young won Serie A with Inter Milan before returning to Villa for a second spell in 2021 and Dyche says Everton are getting “a top-class professional”. “I’ve known Ashley for many years, having been his captain when he first broke through at Watford, and his qualities both on and off the pitch will prove valuable,” he said. “His impressive statistics from last season, which were among some of the best in Europe, highlight what he can bring to Everton.” Read More Charity boss speaks out over ‘traumatic’ encounter with royal aide Ukraine war’s heaviest fight rages in east - follow live

Dele Alli spent six weeks in rehab in the United States in a bid to deal with mental-health problems stemming from a traumatic childhood and after getting addicted to sleeping pills

Dele Alli has revealed he was sexually abused at the age of six and was dealing drugs two years later – while a recent fight against a sleeping pill addiction led to a six-week stay at a rehab clinic. The Everton midfielder has seen his football career stall in recent seasons but has now spoken on the reasons behind a mental health battle that saw him contemplate hanging up his boots at the age of 24. In an emotional interview, the Everton midfielder and former England international fought back tears as he laid bare his difficult upbringing before he was adopted by the Hickford family. Alli also told Gary Neville in The Overlap podcast, in partnership with Sky Bet, that he only came out of rehab last month as he struggled with his mental health. The 37-cap England star, who spent last season on loan at Turkish side Besiktas, said: “When I came back from Turkey, I came in and I found out that I need an operation and I was in a bad place mentally. “I decided to go to like a modern-day rehab facility for mental health. They deal with like addiction, mental health, and trauma because it was something that I felt like it was time for. “I think with things like that, you can’t be told to go there. I think you have to know, and you have to make the decision yourself, otherwise it’s not going to work.” Alli – a key part of the England side that reached the 2018 World Cup semi-finals – also laid bare the sickening abuse he received as a child, saying he was “molested” at the age of six. “(Childhood) is something I haven’t really spoken about that much, to be honest,” he said. “I was sent to Africa (to stay with his father) to learn discipline, and then I was sent back“At seven, I started smoking, eight I started dealing drugs. “An older person told me that they wouldn’t stop a kid on a bike, so I rode around with my football, and then underneath I’d have the drugs, that was eight. Eleven, I was hung off a bridge by a guy from the next estate, a man. “Twelve, I was adopted – and from then, it was like – I was adopted by an amazing family like I said, I couldn’t have asked for better people to do what they’d done for me. If God created people, it was them. “There were a number of times my adopted family and my brother – you know, it makes me sad – they would take me to rooms crying, asking me to just speak to them, tell them what I’m thinking, how I’m feeling, and I just couldn’t do it because I wanted to deal with it by myself.” After signing for Tottenham from MK Dons, Alli enjoyed a fine run of form that culminated in playing a key role in England’s progress to the World Cup semi-finals in 2018. But he was still battling in silence off the pitch – leading to a “scary” addiction to sleeping pills and a reliance on alcohol. “I got addicted to sleeping tablets and it’s probably a problem that not only I have, I think it’s something that’s going around more than people realise in football,” he said. “I think, without me realising it – the things I was doing to numb the feelings I had...I didn’t realise I was doing it for that purpose, whether it be drinking or whatever. “I don’t want to talk about numbers but it was definitely way too much, and there were some scary moments I had. “To take a sleeping tablet and be ready for the next day is fine, but when you’re broken as I am, it can obviously have the reverse effect because it does work for the problems you want to deal with. “That is the problem – it works until it doesn’t. So yes, I definitely abused them too much. It is scary, now I’m out of it and I look back on it. “Probably the saddest moment for me, was when (Jose) Mourinho was (Tottenham) manager, I think I was 24. I remember there was one session, like one morning I woke up and I had to go to training – this is when he’d stopped playing me – and I was in a bad place. “I mean it sounds dramatic but I was literally staring in the mirror – and I was asking if I could retire now, at 24, doing the thing I love. For me, that was heart-breaking to even have had that thought at 24, to want to retire. That hurt me a lot, that was another thing that I had to carry.” Alli said that he had largely been able to mask his difficulties during his football career but to the detriment of his mental health. He added: “To be honest, I was caught in a bad cycle. I was relying on things that were doing me harm and, yeah, I think I was waking up every day and I was winning the fight, you know, going into training, smiling, showing that I was happy. “But inside, I was definitely losing the battle and it was time for me to change it because when I got injured and they told me I needed surgery, I could feel the feelings I had when the cycle begins and I didn’t want it to happen anymore. “So, I went there [rehab], I went there for six weeks and Everton were amazing about it, you know. They supported me 100 per cent and I’ll be grateful to them forever.” Dele Alli was speaking to Gary Neville on a special episode of The Overlap in partnership with Sky Bet. Read More The inspiration behind Australia’s shot at home World Cup glory Women’s World Cup history hangs over co-hosts New Zealand Jordan Henderson offered quadruple his Liverpool wages to join Gerrard’s Saudi side The inspiration behind Australia’s shot at home World Cup glory Women’s World Cup history hangs over co-hosts New Zealand Jordan Henderson offered quadruple his Liverpool wages to join Gerrard’s Saudi side

People in countries including Italy and Spain are struggling to cope with soaring temperatures.

Dele Alli has revealed that his relationship with former boss Mauricio Pochettino was a close one and other managers failed to replicate such a bond. The two spent four years together at Tottenham Hotspur.

Only 13 of the 200 highest-ranked players in women's tennis work with a female coach

Only six of the 128 women entered in singles at Wimbledon work with a female coach

Cristiano Ronaldo’s Saudi Arabian club Al-Nassr have been banned from registering new players due to “outstanding debts”, Fifa has said. Former Manchester United and Real Madrid star Ronaldo moved to the Middle East in January, with a host of star names having followed since as the kingdom seeks to build the Saudi Pro League into one of the world’s best. However, Fifa has now imposed a ban on the club’s transfer activity. A spokesperson for the global governing body said: “The club Al-Nassr is currently prevented from registering new players due to outstanding debts. “The relevant bans will be lifted immediately upon the settlement of the debts being confirmed by the creditors concerned.” Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund (PIF), which has an estimated net worth of over 600 billion US dollars (almost £460bn) bought a majority stake in Al-Nassr as well as three other Saudi clubs in June. The club have further strengthened their squad with the signing of Croatian midfielder Marcelo Brozovic from Inter Milan. Read More Mason Mount echoes iconic Manchester United No 7 in energetic debut Russell at Wimbledon as Bronze hits beach – Wednesday’s sporting social Beckham brightens smile on Messi mural to welcome superstar signing to Miami