Dele Alli kick: Tottenham midfielder vows not to change 'aggressive streak' after Fiorentina controversy

The 19-year-old has been a sensation for Tottenham Hotspur this season after joining from MK Dons

Dele Alli is confronted for his kick incident in Florence (Getty)

Dele Alli has vowed not to curb his “aggressive streak” after being criticised for kicking out at Fiorentina defender Nenad Tomovic on Thursday night.

The 19-year-old has been a sensation for Tottenham Hotspur this season after joining the north London outfit from MK Dons and is in line to play an important role for England at the European Championship in the summer.

Mauricio Pochettino, the Spurs manager, said afterwards that Alli still has “a lot to learn” following the incident which has attracted condemnation from prominent pundits including former referee Howard Webb.

“My personality is that I like to express myself and that is not something I will look to change,” Alli said after the 1-1 Europa League round-of-32 draw in Florence.

“Do you need an aggressive streak to thrive? You could say that. A lot of the great players have that mentality. I want to be the best I can and if that’s what I need to do it, that’s what I do.”

Alli denied that the kick was deliberate, adding: “I would never do that. Football always gets a bit heated but we shook hands and that’s fine.

“Coming from League One, a lot of tackles go in and that is where I’ve learned my trade.”

Pochettino, meanwhile, insisted he had not seen the incident but expressed concern for Alli’s temperament.

“We need to look at the video and try to teach him,” the Argentine said. “He is a young player and he has a lot to learn about elite football. It his first season in the Premier League at Tottenham. He came from League One, he needs to learn a lot.”