A member of Dele Alli's family in Nigeria has denied claims by the England international that he was neglected and brought to Africa as punishment.

Dele Alli who recently granted an interview with Gary Neville on the Overlap show which has gone viral disclosed that he was sexually abused at the age of six and was dealing drugs at age eight.

“At twelve, I was adopted and from then, it was like – I was adopted by an amazing family like I said, I couldn’t have asked for better people to do what they’d done for me. If God created people, it was them” Dele said on Overlap.

However, in a sharp response, a family member who spoke with Nigeria's OJBSPORT claimed that the former Spurs player was never adopted and forced to come to Africa. He explained that the player’s father, Kenny Alli brought him to Nigeria after he relocated following his break-up with Dele Alli’s mother, Denise Alli.

According to the family member who backed his statements with pictures, the English player attended one of the best schools in Nigeria. He also emphasized that Dele’s father took the player to his mother after he remarried and moved to the United States.

“Dele was never adopted by anyone. At age seven, Dele attended one of the best schools in Lagos, Nigeria. He was never sent to Africa for discipline. That’s a blatant lie. He had a driver that picked him up daily from school. We have all the documents and pictures of Dele with his dad from when he was born as a kid. Dele has been brainwashed.” the family member said.

“We went to the UK from Nigeria with academic qualifications. We had to struggle, and I can tell you we are one of the pacesetters in IT in the UK. After finishing his Master’s, Kenny returned to Lagos. Kenny used to take Dele everywhere in Nigeria. We worked very hard to be who we are today. Nobody took him to Nigeria as punishment. Kenny decided to take Dele to the mom in the UK, in anticipation that he will come for him when he settle in the State,” the family member stated.

According to him, the former Everton player was brainwashed after his return to England where he frequently spent the night with a friend’s family who plotted to adopt him.



He said, “Dele has always been a lover of football from birth. He was targeted by the Hickford family. Hickford Allan and Sally and their son Harry (used to be Dele’s teammate and now his agent).”

Denise Alli in an interview in 2018 revealed how the plot started when she said, “It has been said that I was suffering from alcoholism and I gave him up because I couldn’t look after him, but that is a lie. I wanted to give him the best chance of achieving his dream, but he was still my son and I was there for him whenever he needed me.”



“On a particular Wednesday, Dele’s mom called Kenny that the Hickford family didn’t drop Dele as usual. Said the family member. Kenny, who is Dele’s dad immediately called the Hickford resident and they pleaded with Kenny to allow Dele to spend the night with them because they have a comfortable place and their son is good friends with Dele.

“Kenny agreed, not knowing the Hickfords had a plan all along. Along the line, it now became every Wednesday affair. That’s how they started grooming him (Dele) to whatever they are doing.



According to the family member who wanted to remain anonymous, the former Besiktas player’s story of being into drugs as a teenager does not add up.

"He was never sent to Nigeria for punishment. He said he started doing drugs at the age of eight, whereas he was in a private school in Nigeria by then,” the family member concluded.


JNA/KPE