Dele Alli was delighted to get back to business with Tottenham as the 20-year-old made his first appearance of pre-season in their 6-1 victory over Inter Milan.
In truth, it had been over 100 days since Alli had last appeared for Spurs, having been suspended for their final three games of the 2015/16 campaign.
Since then, Spurs have bolstered their squad with two new signings, with Victor Wanyama and Vincent Jansssen arriving from Southampton and AZ Alkmaar respectively, and it was the performance of the Dutchman which sparked rave reviews from the England international.
"He's a great player and showed what he's got to offer,” said Alli. “He scored a goal, and for mine I just played it to him, he laid it off and I put it in the back of the net.
"I'm also pleased for Harry. You know what you're going to get with him. You know he's going to score goals whoever he plays against and it's two great finishes for him and I'm sure he'll be delighted.”
Having lost their previous two warm-up matches, Pochettino’s side is now starting to take shape following the return of his leading stars from their extended break after their Euro 2016 exploits.
Alli believes that their win over Inter, and the magnitude of it, was just what the team needed ahead of the new campaign.
"We're delighted with the win and it was important to get that for confidence ahead of the new season.
"It was a great performance by the team and just what we needed.
New Tottenham Hotspur Kit 2016/17
"I felt a bit rusty to be honest, but it was good to get the cobwebs off and get some minutes. We're ready and raring to go now for the first game against Everton.
"After today's performance we are going to be raring for the first whistle to go. It's important to get a win on the first day of the season. We're all excited and I'm sure the mood will be good."
