Who Is Set to Be Tottenham's Next Big Star?

Tottenham have unearthed several young stars in recent seasons. 

While they cannot claim to have discovered Christian Eriksen—after all, he was a multiple title winner at Ajax—he has found greater renown after moving to England. 

Nabil Bentaleb was wrenched from obscurity when former Tottenham manager Tim Sherwood threw him into his lineup against Southampton at Christmas in 2013. He has now been to a World Cup and African Cup of Nations while blossoming into one of the Premier League's finest midfielders. 

Harry Kane's emergence took a little longer. His goals late in Sherwood's reign hinted at a diamond in the rough, but it was under head coach Mauricio Pochettino when he really broke out. His astonishing 2014-15 season has been covered from every angle at this point. 

Champions League qualification remains Tottenham's primary objective, but unearthing rising talents is a considerable side project. 

Their academy is producing talent at a historic rate with the likes of Harry Winks, Josh Onomah and Kyle Walker-Peters on the cusp of breaking into the first-team. 

So, too, is Alex Pritchard. His impressive spell at Brentford was enough to confirm many fans' suspicions that Pritchard was good enough to demand an opportunity in the Premier League. Not strictly a Spurs product, having joined from West Ham at 16, Pritchard seems bound to get his fair share of games this season.  

Another player returning from a successful loan spell is the most likely of Spurs' squad to be the newest breakout star. 

Dele Alli was a star for MK Dons last season. 

VI-Images/Getty Images

His impressive performances prompted Spurs to sign him in the January transfer window. He stayed with his boyhood club and continued to shine. 

In his pre-season displays and a brief but bright cameo against Manchester United on the opening day, Alli has shown the rounded game that encouraged Tottenham to make their move last winter. 

The nutmeg on Real Madrid's Luka Modric garnered headlines, but it was an excellent all-around display that whetted the appetites of Spurs fans. 

He is powerful, rugged and rides challenges extremely well as he drives through opposition midfields in his unique style. The ferociousness with which he attacks packed defences is remarkable. 

He is fearless with the ball at his feet. 

Alli is still just a boy, only 19, but he plays the game like a far more experienced professional. 

While still capable of rashness in the tackle, Alli is generally a useful player in defensive situations. His athleticism allows him to press extremely hard and spring into attack when he wins back possession.

According to the Guardian's David Hytner, Tottenham's coaching staff rate Alli among their fittest players. 

A long stride allows him to leave defenders in his wake, and his powerful shot makes him a threat from almost any distance. 

Not only is Alli prodigiously talented, he possesses a skill set that none of his teammates do. 

Bentaleb is assured of his place a the base of Spurs' midfield. Barring injury, the Algerian will play whenever he is available. Eric Dier and Ryan Mason have been tried alongside Bentaleb in the season opener, but they are two extremes. 

Dier tackles well and does not waste time with possession, while Mason moves intelligently and gets the ball forward quickly. Neither can match the other's strength. 

Alli is good enough to play in the Premier League, but Pochettino will prefer to bring him in carefully. It is unlikely he will start against Stoke City, but his first full appearance cannot be far away. 

Nor indeed, his first England cap. 

Judging from national manager Roy Hodgson's previous inclination to hand young stars an England bow when he can, Alli stands an excellent chance of taking that step in the coming season. 

After all, with Alli's dual eligibility through his Nigerian father, Hodgson will be keen to tie him down as soon as he can. 

The September and October international breaks may come too soon, but March's glamour friendly against Germany could be the perfect moment to unleash Alli on the international scene. 

After Tottenham's Audi Cup win against Milan, Alli told the Guardian, "I didn’t look at the team-sheet before kick-off because I didn’t want to get too carried away with who I was playing against. I wanted to concentrate on my own game."

After his rapid rise, one could forgive Alli for some degree of arrogance, but there appears to be none there. That sort of level-headedness is rare in footballers, let alone one so young. 

Many young players have reached the Premier League on talent alone but lacked the mentality to stay there. If this, and Henry Winter's similar interview from the Telegraph earlier this year, are any indication, such pitfalls won't trap Alli. 

Alli is young and unproven at the top level, but his talent is astonishing, and his head is in the right place. He will be Tottenham's newest star before the season is out.