Whenever a young English midfielder starts to flourish, comparisons are almost inevitably made to legend and former England captain Steven Gerrard.

Dele Alli’s impressive form for MK Dons in 2015 earned him a £5 million move to Tottenham and he was instrumental in their title challenge, scoring ten goals and appearing in 33 of their 38 league games.

However, before even speaking to Spurs, Alli has admitted that he almost signed for Gerrard’s beloved Liverpool and revealed that he even travelled north to discuss a potential deal.

In what was clearly an effort to tempt the gifted attacking midfielder into a move to Anfield, the 20-year-old claims that Liverpool promised him the chance to meet his idol and then-Reds skipper Gerrard if he agreed to engage in talks with them.

However, as Alli told BBC’s Football Focus, that proposed meeting with the now retired superstar fell through at the last minute and the reason is absolutely hilarious.

“At the time, when I was at MK (Dons), there was contact with Liverpool before I signed for Tottenham but that was before we’d even spoke to Tottenham, I think it was six months before,” Alli said, via the Daily Mail.

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

So, Gerrard falling asleep robbed Alli of meeting his hero, but it doesn’t stop the youngster from expressing his admiration for someone who was one of the greatest performers in English football history,

As a child growing up, Gerrard, who played 862 times in a remarkable career, gained the respect of Alli through his fearless approach at both club and international level.

The Spurs star added: “The way he was on the pitch, the way he was as a