From the heights of the Mauricio Pochettino era, it's been sad to see Dele Alli hit such depths under Jose Mourinho. The Tottenham playmaker has made just one Premier League start all season in the 1-0 defeat to Everton on the opening day. Since then, he has made only one substitute appearance in domestic football and was named as the squad's 19th man ahead of the recent win over Manchester City - a position usually reserved for youngsters and real fringe players. The England international was handed a rare start in Thursday's 4-0 win over Ludogorets in the Europa League, a victory sealed thanks to a Carlos Vinicius brace, an unlikely long-range strike from Harry Winks and a clincher from Lucas Moura. Dele unselfishly laid on Vinicius's second goal, when he might well have shot himself. “He could try to score but for Vinicius it was an easy goal," Mourinho told his post-match press conference."A team player does that. No risk and 2-0. Doesn’t surprise me that he did that.”He was eventually substituted - prompting a wry smile - in the 82nd minute, replaced by Jack White. All in all, it might have been considered a successful night for the 24-year-old, but a clip has emerged of him in the tunnel ahead of kick-off which shows just how much pressure he was under to perform. When he was hooked at half-time in the 1-0 loss against Royal Antwerp, Mourinho had said afterwards that he had "easy choices" to make going forward, a dig at many of his players but one which seemed particularly relevant to the midfielder. It was vital, therefore, that Dele made an impression against the Bulgarians, but he cut an isolated and anxious figure before the game at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.

His highlights can also be seen below: 

One of the reasons Dele was once such a joy to watch was that he played with such a swagger.

His confidence is, quite understandably, at rock bottom and it's heartbreaking to see such a talented young player reach such a nadir. 

Inevitably, he has been linked with a move away from the club in order to resurrect his career and while it remains to be seen whether he can turn things around under Mourinho, the impact of his current plight is becoming very clear.