Russian taxi driver gave me a lucky charm said Dele Alli
Travelling from the team’s base in Repino to a St Petersburg hospital the day after England’s opening match against Tunisia, the 22-year-old could have been forgiven for fearing the worst.
Dele had been substituted 10 minutes prior to Harry Kane’s stoppage-time winner, having sustained a thigh strain during the first half.
He took the 45-minute journey into Russia’s second city for a scan which would determine his fate.
“As I got out, the taxi driver gave me a bracelet and said it was good luck,” he said.
The scan revealed there was no tear, and although the Tottenham midfielder missed two matches and required time to get up to speed, the diagnosis ultimately enabled him to play a full part in the knockout stages.
“So I’ve kept it,” he says. “I don’t wear it but I keep it in my washbag.”
The bracelet joins a lengthy list of superstitions: an eight-minute ice-bath on the eve of a game; a small piece of tape placed on his left knee unrelated to any injury; and wearing the same shinpads since he was 11.
