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Dele Alli signs new Tottenham contract until 2021

Dele Alli has signed a new long-term Tottenham contract until 2021, the club have confirmed.

Alli, 19, has put pen to paper on a new deal with Spurs after becoming a regular starter in Mauricio Pochettino's team this season following a £5 million move from MK Dons last summer.

"I'm delighted," Alli said of his new contract. "The club has been really great to me since I arrived, we've a great young team and I can only see us going forward. I'm really happy to be here."

Alli has made a huge impact since arriving at White Hart Lane, scoring five goals in 18 Premier League appearances.

He has also broken into the senior England set-up and scored his first international goal in the 2-0 victory over France in November.

Alli signed from MK Dons in January 2015 but spent the remainder of the season on loan, helping the Buckinghamshire club into the Championship.

He made his Premier League debut on the opening day of this season at Manchester United and has since gone on to make 25 Spurs appearances in all competitions.

Having made his England Under-21 debut in September, he capped his meteoric rise by making his first senior appearance in a Euro 2016 qualifier against Estonia the following month.

Speaking to Spurs TV about his new contract, Alli said: "The club has been really good to me since I've been here.

"We've got a great young team and I'm happy to be here.

"All the boys and staff have helped me settled in well and made it easy to go out there and do my stuff.

"That helps you with your confidence and you can focus on the football, and that's obviously important as a young footballer moving away because it can be quite scary at times."

Spurs are currently fourth in the Premier League and there is growing belief that Mauricio Pochettino's young and exciting team can mount a sustained challenge for a Champions League spot, if not compete for the title itself.

Alli has quickly become an integral part of Pochettino's team, but he insists he still has much to learn as he seeks to secure his place in the England squad at Euro 2016 this summer.

"I've got a few games now and I've shown what I can do and established myself as a Premier League player," Alli said.

"But I'm 19, I've still got a lot to learn and I can't think of a better place to do that.

"When I was moving from MK, the philosophy they had as a club, it was important I found that wherever I went. The football suits me as a player and it's a great club to be at.

"Nothing changes with the contract, I'm still going to keep working hard on and off the pitch and doing as well as I can."

At a news conference later on Tuesday, Pochettino added: "I think its very good news for us, it's good for him, for us. Dele Alli deserves it after the last six months with us, he deserves to improve his salary, his contract.

"To achieve the level of his teammate, because now he's an international and plays consistently with the first team, he deserves all that he takes now.

"For me, all the players are important. Dele Alli is important too, but the most important thing is always the collective the squad, the team, the spirit. We have a very good player with enough quality to play who can achieve whatever he wants.

"It's important players like Dele Alli are here and showing commitment to the club."

ESPN FC's Tottenham correspondent Dan Kilpatrick contributed to this report

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