Dele Alli changes the name on the back of his shirt as Tottenham midfield star leaves scores of fans feeling short-changed

Tottenham took to social media on Friday afternoon to confirm the squad numbers for each of their players, and revealed that while Alli had chosen to keep the shirt number 20, the England international preferred to have his shirt read "Dele" than "Alli" as per last year.

Explaining his decision, Alli said: "I wanted a name on my shirt that represented who I am and I feel I have no connection with the Alli surname.

"This is not a decision I have taken without a lot of thought and discussion with family close to me."

Confirming the name change on Twitter, Tottenham wrote: "@Dele_Alli will retain number 20 but for personal reasons has elected to have the name 'DELE' displayed on the reverse of his match shirts."

Alli enjoyed a breakthrough season at Spurs last term as the midfielder's battling performances in midfield helped the north London side challenge Leicester City for the Premier League title.

He also ended the season with 10 league goals and nine assists, which helped the 20-year-old earn his place in Roy Hodgson's England side for the European Championships in France.