England goalkeeper Joe Hart has issued a warning to his international team-mate Dele Alli, who has caught raising his middle finger by cameras during the Three Lions game against Slovakia on Monday.
Hart warned the Spurs star saying, “The world is watching and Dele appreciates that. He is a young expressive guy who is trying to get to the peak of his game and sometimes he is going to do things that not everyone is going to agree with.
“I think we all know what has gone on – no one has got hurt from it, let’s be honest. Luckily and hopefully it was after 9pm and after the watershed. Kids are watching, Dele appreciates that. I’m sure it will be dealt with in the right way.”
Alli has since claimed that he directed the gesture towards team-mate Kyle Walker as a joke during the second half.
The youngster could however be set to face punishment from Fifa should referee Clement Turpin decide to include the incident in his post-match report.
Alli is still a young guy and as a result his behavior can be excused. However he will have to aim to learn from this experience and never repeat such a careless action on the pitch, especially as he is now seen as a role model by millions of youngsters throughout the world.