When a young Eric Dier first signed for Tottenham Hotspur back in the summer of 2014 – let’s face it – few were ever expecting the fresh-faced centre-back to be making a name for himself among the England national squad any time soon.
Despite growing up in Portugal and successfully breaking through the ranks at Sporting Lisbon CP, a truly profitable academy in which the illustrious likes of Cristiano Ronaldo, Luis Figo and Paulo Futre also began their trade, the Tottenham no. 15 admittedly seemed somewhat average in his first season among the English top-flight, possessing an overall level of ability that wasn’t ground-breaking by any means.
However, as Spurs’ 21-year-old defensive sensation still remains in the distinctly early stages of his career, Dier’s recent progress has nonetheless been quite impressive in the Premier League, and in Europe with all things considered.
[ffc-gal cat=”tottenham” no=”5″]
So then, does Eric Dier really deserve his recent England call-up, or has Roy Hodgson ultimately overlooked a few other candidates who would have been perfect for this week’s approaching international friendlies?
Well, considering the fact that England are currently witnessing a sheer lack of defensive quality at the back, Dier’s inclusion in the recent Three Lions squad does in-fact seem to be a smart one from the selectors.
Gary Cahill has certainly had a season to forget so far this term, the likes of Chris Smalling and Phil Jones remain questionable at international level, and as for Everton’s John Stones – well, he does actually seem a relatively promising asset for Hodgson within the grand scheme of things.
Yet as the 21-year-old Tottenham man has seen most of his recent plaudits arrive when holding down the defensive-midfield spot at White Hart Lane, perhaps that is the position he must maintain on the international scene with England, as well as domestically.
Michael Carrick seems a rather pointless addition considering how old he’ll be by the time Euro 2016 actually arrives, Dele Alli is seemingly too untested to get excited over just yet, and the likes of Fabian Delph and Adam Lallana arguably don’t warrant a place in Roy Hodgson’s squad based on recent form alone.
Eric Dier therefore remains a truly promising addition among the recent Three Lions gathering. England have been severely lacking behind many of their European counterparts when it comes to doing the business internationally – so the decision to include a traditionally placed centre-back in the defensive midfield slot does in-fact seem a rather progressive one from Hodgson’s point of view.
The former Sporting Lisbon man has certainly shined this term when breaking up play in the middle of the park of course. He may not be the most cultured ball-player or technically gifted midfielder the Premier League has ever seen – but with a little bit of confidence and sustained management from Mauricio Pochettino – those aforementioned factors could well blossom among Dier’s overall game just a few years down the line.
Obviously the overall state of England’s affairs may well be questionable if someone with as little experience as Eric Dier can seemingly make the squad without much of a second thought, yet as that is nevertheless the situation the Three Lions currently find themselves in, Hodgson simply must move forward instead of looking back.
Perhaps the strongest reason for picking the recent White Hart Lane favourite however, is his sheer versatility when defending his goal. Although we all want to see Eric Dier maintain his club form on the international scene as a defensive midfielder – it’s fair to suggest that the 21-year-old could easily play at centre-back or right-back should England’s upcoming circumstances require such a move. For that reason alone, Dier does in-fact deserve his call-up to the Three Lions squad.
However, that’s not to say that Roy Hodgson hasn’t overlooked a certain few names that could well warrant a role with England sooner rather than later. West Ham’s James Tomkins has always been a solid candidate who may make the odd mistake here and there, but a player very few seem willing to praise when he performs consistently well for the Hammers. Perhaps if Dier had been playing for a lower placed Premier League side these past two seasons – he may have been overlooked as well by England.
So then, although the circumstances surrounding Hodgson’s recent Three Lions selection may not be perfect by any means, Eric Dier’s inclusion nonetheless looks like it will prove a successful one – just as long as he is allowed to express himself as a defensive midfielder first and foremost.
[ad_pod id=’writeforus’ align=’center’]
