Sam Allardyce reckons Crystal Palace loanee Ruben Loftus-Cheek could have been as good as Tottenham stars Harry Kane and Dele Alli.

Loftus-Cheek, 21, is yet to play regular senior football after being used sporadically at Chelsea.

But he is set to play a key part in Palace’s upcoming season after joining on loan from the Blues earlier this month.

And former Eagles boss Allardyce reckons Loftus-Cheek wasted the early stages of his career with Chelsea.

He said: “It’s nice to see Ruben Loftus-Cheek going to Crystal Palace.

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“I think if he’d done it five years ago he may well have been another Dele Alli or Harry Kane but unfortunately his development has been blocked by staying at Chelsea for so long.

“There aren’t enough [youngsters] getting into first-team football as quickly as possible.

“You should be playing first-team football at some level at 17, not 20 or 21.

“Dele Alli is the perfect example of that, coming through the ranks at MK Dons.

“We need more players playing football at league level and ultimately going back to their club and trying to prove themselves.”