Steve Gerrard slept through meeting with Dele Alli when Liverpool were chasing the starlet

DELE Alli grew up as a massive Steven Gerrard fan, so when Liverpool were interested in signing him, it might as well have been a dream. But did Gerrard cause the move to fail?

Dele Alli grew up as a massive Steven Gerrard fan, so when Liverpool were interested in signing him, it might as well have been a dream.

He was on the verge of getting to play with his hero.

So when Liverpool flew him up to see the club, they set up a meeting between Alli and Gerrard so the teenager could meet his idol. Only it never happened.

“At the time when I was at MK [Dons] there was contact with Liverpool before I signed for Tottenham,” Alli told the BBC. “But that was before we’d even spoke to Tottenham. I think it was six months before.

Former Liverpool and England captain Steven Gerrard.

“We went up there and I think they knew that Steven Gerrard was my hero, so they said he was going to come down to meet me, but when I got there he was asleep apparently.”

Alli wasn’t offended, though.

“I think he had a game the next day though so I understand.”

This isn’t actually a big deal. Gerrard isn’t going to make meeting some teenager a priority, especially with a game the next day and it’s unlikely that meeting Gerrard was the difference between Alli signing with Liverpool or not. But it’s definitely funny.

Maybe Liverpool fans should take naps instead of watching Alli play, and score, for Tottenham.

Tottenham Hotspur's Dele Alli.

Originally published as Steve Gerrard slept through meeting with Dele Alli when Liverpool were chasing the starlet