Tottenham Hotspur midfielder Dele Alli has confessed that he was sad to see Denmark international Christian Eriksen leave the club during the January transfer window.
Eriksen had rejected offers of a new contract at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium and wanted to leave last summer, but a move never materialised and so was prepared to walk away for free at the end of the season. Spurs eventually accepted an offer from Inter for around £16.9m.
Both Eriksen and Alli had been vital players for the club in recent seasons, and the Englishman admitted (via the Evening Standard) that he will miss having someone of Eriksen's quality around.
"Chris is an amazing player, but it came to that point where he wanted to move on," Alli admitted.
"It was sad for me and the other boys because he got on with everyone, he was a great squad player, he got on well, he was great in training and always working hard on the pitch.
"He gave me a lot of assists as well and I am going to miss them, but at the same time I wish him all the best and I am sure we will speak soon, maybe go for dinner."
Amid all the transfer drama, Eriksen's form undoubtedly took a nosedive. He managed just three goals and three assists during the first half of the season, and his inconsistency saw him booed by Spurs supporters during matches for a perceived lack of interest.
"He's been amazing," Alli insisted. "You don't want to speak to him too much about what is going on but he has been giving 100%, always been training hard, always been committed to the club.
"You read a lot and see a lot but you would never be able to tell that he wasn't focused. He was always positive and never really spoke about anything other than Tottenham. It is a huge honour to have played with him and I wish him all the best."
After making his debut in a Coppa Italia victory over Fiorentina, Eriksen was handed his first start for Inter in Sunday's 2-0 win over Udinese.
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Source : 90min