Alli left 'speechless' after England call-up

The former MK Dons midfielder was selected by Roy Hodgson ahead of Euro 2016 qualifiers against Estonia and Lithuania and he has expressed his pride at the call-up Tottenham starlet Dele Alli admits that he was left speechless after being called up by manager Roy Hodgson for England's next international fixtures. Alli, who has made nine appearances for Spurs this season since joining the club from MK Dons for a fee of £5 million, was selected in place of Liverpool's Daniel Sturridge, with the forward continuing his recovery to full fitness. "I was speechless!" Alli told the official Tottenham website following Thursday's 1-1 Europa League draw with Monaco. "It's been a really good start to the season for me, I maybe didn’t expect it to go this well. "At the start of the season I set myself a target to try to become a regular in the Under-21s and try to get a few starts in the Premier League. "Obviously, I've got a few starts already, so it’s been a great start and I can't thank the players and staff enough for helping me settle in and play as well as I have been." England host Estonia in Group E on October 9 before travelling to Lithuania three days later and Alli is hopeful he can get some time on the pitch with qualification for Euro 2016 already achieved. "It's a great chance for me to show what I can do, show the manager and all the players," he said. "At the moment I'm just focusing on Spurs, the game at Swansea [on Sunday], but when it comes, I'll work as hard as I can in training and see if I can get some minutes on the pitch." Spurs manager Mauricio Pochettino expressed his pride at Alli's call-up, but says that he is keen to keep the midfielder's feet on the ground. I'm very happy for Dele, it's important to look after him. We have a great relationship with [England manager] Roy Hodgson and his staff," he added. "We have to keep his feet on the ground but he's very mature on and off the pitch."