Age is not an excuse anymore

have all played a lot of games. Age isn’t everything.

“I like to go on a game-by-game basis. It would be foolish to think any further than that. We have to work hard to try to improve and get where we want to. There’s no point putting a target on it.

“I have never used age as an excuse and I don’t really care how old someone is. If they are good enough they are old enough. That is the saying and I believe in that.

“It’s a matter of experience. You can be 21 and have played more games than someone who is 23. Someone like Raheem Sterling has probably played loads of games at a very high level, so he is extremely experienced.”

Tottenham head coach Mauricio Pochettino has regularly given his younger players chances in the first team since his appointment, with Harry Kane and Dele Alli notably breaking through to become mainstays and Harry Winks fast becoming a crucial player this season.

Dier added: “Last season maybe we proved the age thing not to be too much of a factor. There were teams that were a lot more experienced than us, but we seemed to do OK and we are doing OK again this season. It’s more attitude and a mentality than anything to do with age.”

Southgate will however turn to experience to lead his team tomorrow, with goalkeeper Joe Hart, a relative veteran in this squad at the age of 29, captaining the team on his 70th appearance.

Chelsea’s Gary Cahill, at 31, was England’s oldest player on Wednesday and skippered the side, but he is suspended for tomorrow’s game.