Alli performance almost faultless – Hodgson

England manager Roy Hodgson says Dele Alli’s performance in the 2-0 friendly victory over France was almost “faultless”.

The Tottenham midfielder marked a first start for his country with a maiden international goal, finding the top corner with a long-range effort via a slight deflection off Laurent Koscielny.

Wayne Rooney added a second after the break as England made a strong response to their defeat in Spain on Friday, with Hodgson delighted by the display of 19-year-old Alli.

“It was close to a faultless performance,” he said of the Spurs star.

“I don’t think he was anything other than top class at any stage of the game. I thought he was quite outstanding. He deserves a lot of praise for that performance.

“We have got a lot of injuries but some players have come in and said ‘you might have some big names missing, but you don’t have to worry because I am here’.

“You cannot get as much of the ball as we had by missing many passes or tackles.”

Hodgson was impressed by how his players handled a difficult night as both sides showed solidarity prior to the match following the terrorist attacks in Paris on Friday.

“The players coped with it all very well,” he said. 

“I think the interesting thing was that the game attracted 71,000 which is incredible for a friendly match. The fans played their part.

“I thought we played very well, particularly in the first half. We played with authority, composure and movement. These two games have given me what I wanted to see.”