Why Dele Alli is being booed by Nigeria fans in England friendly

Alli is used to boos on the pitch, but the jeers and whistles directed towards him at Wembley were not because of his reputation

Dele Alli found himself the subject of boos from the visiting Nigeria supporters at Wembley in Saturday's World Cup warm-up clash.

The Tottenham midfielder, who started in midfield as Gareth Southgate's side faced the Super Eagles, found himself on the receiving end of boos from the Nigeria fans whenever he touched the ball.

Though Alli has gained a notorious reputation for diving and stimulation over the past seasons, the jeers were not due to his on-pitch behaviour.

The apparent reason for the boos is that Alli could have represented Nigeria as his father was born in the African country, and could have played for the Super Eagles instead of England.

The 22-year-old forward has represented the Three Lions since 2012, where he made his first appearance for the England U17 squad, and has played for the national side on all levels and eventually earned his first senior cap against Estonia in October 2016.

Before his first senior call-up, retired Wimbledon striker John Fashanu – who chose to represent England despite being of Nigerian descent – tried to convince Alli to play for Nigeria after his own regret of not doing so.