Aaron Lennon has become the latest footballer to praise Dele Alli for speaking about his struggles publicly and the former Tottenham winger added that this should be a reminder to fans that they should never cross the line between criticism and abuse.

In an extremely candid interview with Gary Neville on The Overlap, Dele opened up about his battle with addiction to sleeping pills, admitting that he had to check himself into rehab to overcome it.

LONDON, ENGLAND – MARCH 07: Harry Kane of Tottenham Hotspur shares a joke with former teammate Dele Alli of Everton during the Premier League match between Tottenham Hotspur and Everton at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on March 7, 2022 in London, United Kingdom. (Photo by Charlotte Wilson/Offside/Offside via Getty Images)

The former Spurs midfielder also spoke honestly about his childhood trauma and how his inability to open up about it to others took its toll on him.

Following the interview, the 27-year-old has been celebrated for his courage in speaking out and showing others suffering from similar ailments that they are not alone.

A whole host of Dele’s former teammates, including the likes of Harry Kane, Davinson Sanchez and Jan Vertonghen have voiced their support for the Everton man.

Lennon, who himself has had battles with depression in the past, pointed out that this should serve as a cautionary tale to supporters to be considerate about what they say on social media about footballers.

Spurs Web Opinion

The distance and anonymity that social media provides has brought out the worst in all human beings, including football fans. It has become increasingly commonplace to cast a sporting error as almost a moral failing, with some fans often parroting some version of ‘the players do not care enough’.

In reality, they care much more about results and playing well than any of us do, which is why they have been able to make it to the top level. The pressures that come with trying to perform in front of the whole world in such a ruthlessly competitive environment, can take its toll on their mental health.

While it is great see Spurs fans coming out in full support of Dele, they also need to introspect and ask themselves if they need to constantly ridicule someone like Eric Dier, who is clearly a fantastic human being, loves the club and gives his all for the shirt.

As long as a player is wearing a Tottenham shirt, Spurs fans’ only job should be to support them. Of course, you can have your opinion on whether a certain player is good enough but it is unacceptable to constantly troll someone simply because you as a fan do not think someone is of the required level.

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