Dele Alli is most experienced under-20 player in Europe

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Dele AlliImage source, Getty Images
Image caption,

Alli has played 39 games for Spurs so far this season

Tottenham's Dele Alli has played more domestic league games than any other player aged 20 or under in Europe's 'big five' leagues.

The CIES Football Observatory has drawn up a list, external of the players with most league appearances by year of birth.

It says 19-year-old Alli's 98 games for Spurs and MK Dons are the most for a player born in 1996 or later.

The list is dominated by Premier League players ahead of their rivals in Spain, Germany, Italy and France.

Most experienced players in Europe's 'big five'

Born in or after 1996

Dele Alli (Premier League)

1986

James Milner (Premier League)

1995

Samu Castillejo (La Liga)

1985

Simon Francis (Premier League)

1994

Nathan Redmond (Premier League)

1984

Wes Morgan (Premier League)

1993

Romelu Lukaku (Premier League)

1983

Jon Walters (Premier League)

1992

Koke (La Liga)

1982

Rickie Lambert (Premier League)

1991

Eden Hazard (Premier League)

1981

Gareth Barry (Premier League)

1990

James McCarthy (Premier League)

1980

Sylvain Armand (Ligue 1)

1989

Charlie Austin (Premier League)

1979

Massimo Maccarone (Serie A)

1988

Sergio Aguero (Premier League)

1978

Gianluigi Buffon (Serie A)

1987

Billy Jones (Premier League)

1977 or before

Mark Schwarzer (Premier League)

England international Alli has made one more appearance than Barcelona's Croatia Under-21 international Alen Halolovic, 19, who is on loan at Sporting Gijon. Third on the list is Villarreal's Spain U21 international winger Matias Nahuel, 19.

Among players born in 1985 or later, only one player has more games under his belt than Cristiano Ronaldo and Wayne Rooney - Bournemouth defender Simon Francis with 460 games.

Everton's Romelu Lukaku, 22, tops the list for players born after 1993, having played 210 games so far for the Toffees, Anderlecht, Chelsea and West Brom.

Of players born after 1991, Chelsea's Eden Hazard has played 277 games, just ahead of Liverpool's Nathaniel Clyne.

Chelsea boss Guus Hiddink has urged doctors at the Football Association and Premier League clubs to put pressure on the game's authorities to reduce the number of fixtures played by clubs in English competitions.

Chelsea face four games in the next 12 days across three competitions, and Hiddink says the players need more protection.

But former Chelsea doctor Ralph Rogers told BBC Radio 5 live on Monday that was unrealistic.

"I appreciate his concern but it's all market-driven. People want football," he said.

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