'He'd always find that pass perfectly' – Dele Alli names Lionel Messi & Kevin De Bruyne as 'toughest opponents' faced in career with Como midfielder revealing 'a lot of respect' for duo

Dele Alli has named Lionel Messi and Kevin De Bruyne as his toughest opponents, with the ex-England midfielder having "a lot of respect" for the pair.

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Ex-England star graced the Champions LeagueAlso starred for Tottenham in the Premier LeagueIn the process of rebuilding his career in ItalyFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?

During his days at Tottenham, Dele found himself rubbing shoulders with some of the best players on the planet. He became a Premier League star in his own right, while also helping Spurs to battle past Europe’s elite en route to the Champions League final.

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During the group stage of the 2018-19 Champions League, Dele faced Argentine icon Messi at Camp Nou – with the eight-time Ballon d’Or winner stepping off the bench for Barcelona in a game that finished 1-1.

WHAT DELE ALLI SAID

Dele, who is now rebuilding his career in Italy after overcoming serious injury issues, has told Como’s when asked to pick out his toughest rivals on the field: "I have to say Messi. Obviously we weren’t directly against each other, but for me Messi was one of the toughest."

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Dele added on a player that he came up against on a regular basis when facing Manchester City in England’s top tier: "Also, Kevin De Bruyne is one that I always put up there because we play similar positions.

"I’d be behind him and see things and think: ‘Please don’t see that pass’. But he always seemed to see it and find the pass perfectly. For me, that was something I noticed and something I gave a lot of respect to."