Thu 11 April 2024, 11:00
Tottenham HotspurRewind just over a decade ago and an 18-year-old Dele had just signed for the Club! Now, as our former forward turns 28 today (11 April), we have been through the archive to dig out his first ever interview with the Club.
Joining us from MK Dons back in February, 2015, the midfielder turned forward spoke to our in-house media team as he put pen to paper on his first-ever contract at the Club while he was still a teenager.
He then headed back north to Milton Keynes to join the side where he came through the ranks on loan for the remainder of the 2014/15 season and help them to earn automatic promotion while he scooped the EFL's Young Player of the Year award. The future England international then linked up with us for the first time ahead of the 2015/16 season - a season in which he would surpass all expectations as he tore it up in his debut season in the top flight and went on to win the PFA's Young Player of the Year award.
Dele went on to make over 250 appearances for us, scoring 67 goals, across a glorious period for the Club as we recorded our best-ever Premier League finish (2nd in 2016/17) while he also helped us to the Champions League Final in 2019. He also collected all 37 of his England caps to date during his time in Lilywhite.
But, ahead of those incredible years in north London, this is what the young Dele had to say as he joined the Club now over 10 years ago...
“It’s a massive club and I’m really happy to be here,” Dele said upon signing for us in February, 2015. “I’m looking forward to meeting all the lads and getting to work with the manager. It’s a dream come true.
“I like the way the manager has been working, developing the youth and bring a lot of young players in. I wanted to come to a club where the manager puts a lot of trust into young players.
“I’d love to play for Spurs and play at White Hart Lane. It won’t be easy and I’ll have fight for my place in the team but I’ll work hard to do that.”
“Last season (At MK Dons) I scored seven goals and this season it’s something I’ve looked to bring into my game, to get more goals from central midfield, to get forward more and get more assists as well."
On our training facility, Hotspur Way, he said: “I’ve never seen anything like it. I’m looking forward to making this my home.”
