Tottenham and England star Dele Alli has revealed the rival player he has been most impressed with as an opponent.
The 22-year old midfielder has faced a number of world class stars already in his career thanks to Spurs' exploits in the Champions League as well as internationally with England.
Speaking exclusively to Mirror Football's John Cross , Alli revealed that the toughest player he has come up against was Real Madrid and Spain midfielder Isco.
Despite having faced the likes of Cristiano Ronaldo, Eden Hazard and Luka Modric among others, Alli went for a more understated choice and a player who operates in an attacking midfield position similar to him.
The Spurs man recalls the impression the Spanish playmaker left on him following their first encounter during a pre-season friendly in 2015.
Alli, who signed from Milton Keynes Dons just a few months earlier heaped praise on Isco for his performance in the 2015 Audi Cup.
"My first season at Tottenham when we played them preseason, watching him then, he just makes the game look so easy," said Alli.
"We weren't really playing up against each other but I was enjoying watching him."
The two players faced each other again last season in the Champions League when Spurs beat the European champions 3-1 at Wembley. Alli was the star of the show that night, scoring twice as Mauricio Pochettino's men claimed a famous win.
The two recently crossed paths again as England suffered a 2-1 defeat to Spain in the opening match of the UEFA Nations League at Wembley.
On this occasion it was Isco who got the upper hand as his impressive performance was one of the contributing factors to England's downfall.
The return fixture takes at the Estadio Benito Villamarín in Seville on October 15.
DangerousAnimal
50
Isco is so good on the ball even his team mates find it difficult to get the ball off him 😂