For nearly a decade, we've all been trying to figure out just how good Eric Dier is, to one degree or another. Per year From his Tottenham debut in 2014 to a succession of managers between club and country, in 2018 he scored that penalty, made that tackle, went into the stands to defend his brother, tweeted about Brexit and now confirmed the victory. Impossible After signing a contract with Bayern Munich, there is always a question mark.
I'm not sure there's a footballer I wish more success for and expect more to prove the doubters wrong. As someone who is often accused of stealing lives, perhaps this is my natural empathy, my football incarnation. But here he is, my favorite Eric since Mooseman.
In the binary world of social media, he is either an absolute idiot or world class. In the real world, where all professional footballers are very good, the answer would probably be a level or two, a meter or two below the elite. But Pochettino, Hodgson, Southgate, Mourinho, Conte and now Tuchel love him.
Asked if Spurs could sell Dier this window with his injury problems looking a little more aggressive than an angry Ange Postecoglou, he took the time to answer: "Yes." But, strangely enough, Postecoglos somehow did it. He admired his honesty. It wasn't hard to know it was time to move on when Emerson Royal was picked opposite you at centre-back. Although Dier has a very stylish image at home with Chelsea this season, he is not a classy man.
It conjures up a picture of what has happened to any Spurs player over the decade: a Champions League final in Madrid, a man looking a little angry after scoring a goal that was no one's fault but which seemed entirely forgivable (see .also Hugo). Lloris, Jan Vertonghen, you know the names). But Dyer's moment was competition.
It may be difficult to watch football during a midlife crisis, but it's impossible to imagine that nine-and-a-half years ago it first started on the opening day of the 2014-15 season. He formed a back four at Upton Park with Kyle Naughton, Younes Kaboul and Danny Rose. The score was 0-0 in stoppage time with both teams down to 10 men, and substitute Harry Kane replaced the ineffective Emmanuel Adebayor in the 83rd minute and fed the ball to new Dier.
Guy Demel hit the ball wide of the goal and Adrian scored. Andros Townsend celebrates with Kane before jumping on his back. Lewis Holtby ran up to congratulate him. And since then I've spent most of my life thinking about Eric Dier, at least a little.
Afta scores England's first decisive penalty at the Men's World Cup. Perhaps this is an indication that Dyer is "really" seen as a national act? When he stepped up to score the winning penalty. He wasn't everyone's favorite in an England shirt, but he was a den of jokes, neither Phil Jones nor Harry Maguire.
For the World Cup edit, the BBC only paid the license fee, which they did ahead of the 2018 semi-finals, when Croatia received a lifetime ban after Colombia handed them 16 penalty kicks. Notably, Dyer shares the Best Supporting Actor title with Jordan Pickford. But still, what a moment. It wasn't pure trauma, he joined in the celebration rather than leading it, but here he was the maker of history.
Perhaps his most accurate strike in an England shirt came against Sergio Ramos in the 3-2 win over Spain. Ten minutes into the game, he ran 20 meters past Ramos in the Spanish penalty area. “I want Eric Dier and Sergio Ramos to play at my funeral,” David Squis tweeted. If Postecoglou had seen so many reports, things might have turned out differently.
After the newspaper campaign
Was the player trying to gain the attention of the fans and gain the overall support of the crowd? After Spurs lost on penalties to Norwich in the FA Cup, Dyer put on his boots and climbed onto the bench to protect his brother. An action that is commendable, although not recommended.
And he is “not that kind of player”: he is a big city footballer who has nothing to do with football. In 2019, he tweeted in support of #Peoplesvote. “I will never regret this. I was completely against [Brexit] and time will tell and it will show (it's bad for the country).
Dyer argues that these are just our stereotypical views of clothing and that the conversation is not just about Dubai, cars and tattoos. A friend of mine sent me a podcast about the garden that Dyer created while in lockdown. There was a guy with a normal voice, although he had a fenced garden and a vegetable garden, about how to plant trees and bend his legs when weeding. Attractive, interested and wise.
Football is too cruel to care about how good someone is, but it still matters. Listen to Dele Alli talk about the importance of his friendship with Dier and how much he supported the Everton midfielder during his highly publicized struggles. They represent the idea of their politeness.
Perhaps humility deserves success. Brendan-Rogers finds Dyer a very good character. The word "perfection" is overused, but it still applies to Dior. The last few months have definitely been tough at Spurs. His move to Allianz may have surprised many, but there isn't a single Spurs fan who doesn't wish him well. It will be clear to him if he has one more time and this time he will win the trophy.
