#SpursPreSeason - Dele joins former youth club for virtual Q&A

Dele appeared as special guest in a virtual Q&A session with youngsters from his former club, City Colts in Milton Keynes, as part of our continuing domestic pre-season programme on Thursday.

Born and brought up in Milton Keynes, Dele played for MK Rangers and City Colts before joining MK Dons’ youth set-up at the age of 11. He made his debut aged 16, his performances prompting his move to Spurs in 2015. He burst onto the scene here, winning successive PFA Young Player awards and scoring in the 2018 World Cup. He’s currently on 249 appearances for Spurs and has 37 England caps - all by the age of 25.

Having captained the team to a League Cup win against Watford at Stadium MK in September, 2018, Dele will return home again for our next pre-season friendly against MK Dons on Wednesday week, 28 July.

He took a trip down memory lane with 20 young players from City Colts, reminiscing about his time at the club in the early 2000s before talking about his rise to the top. Dele was asked about his earliest memories, what inspired him to be a footballer and for his tips for any youngsters determined to follow in his footsteps.

Those tips? “Have fun, work hard, enjoy your football, play as much as you can,” said Dele. “Try not to beat yourself up too much when things aren’t going well. There were a lot of times when I was younger when I’d lose a game and it was like it was the end of the world, but really it only plays a small part in the bigger picture. I’m sure you all dream of being professionals and it’s a long journey, so enjoy it.”

After the virtual Q&A, our Global Football Development coaches hosted a session for the Under-10s at City Colts. During the session, our expert coaches showcased the authentic training methods developed within the Club’s Academy, helping young players to reach their full potential.

“The Q&A brought back a lot of memories,” added Dele. “The kids had some great questions! I hope they enjoyed their session with the Club’s Global Football Development coaches, learning skills they can take forward. I’m really excited to return to MK Dons next week, the club where it all started for me. The fans are always so welcoming, and it should be a great game.”

Our Global Football Development coaches deliver world-class technical programmes, educational talks, workshops, and exercise classes around the world with the aim to keep children physically active and promote a positive mental wellbeing.

Danny Mitchell, Football Development Manager, said: “It’s fantastic to have Dele share insight into what it takes to reach the top level. All of our programmes aim to inspire young players at all levels to become the best player that they can be both on and off the pitch. Our programmes hold individual player development at the heart of them and to have Dele come and reinforce these messages alongside the work our coaches do, is incredibly powerful and no doubt will live long in the memory for these young players. Hopefully they can take these tips on board and implement them for their own journeys through football and beyond.”

Adrian Dobson, Chairman of City Colts, added: “Huge thank you to coaches Alex and Jerome who provided both the players and coaching staff great information and insight today. We are really grateful to Dele for taking time out of his day to speak with the boys. It was great to hear him talk about how he enjoyed his time at City Colts as a young player and how important it was for him to have fun and enjoy his football.”