RASHFORD’S
Dier believes Marcus inspires the whole squad to do their bit
ERIC DIER has hailed Marcus Rashford as a role model for every footballer in England. The Three Lions and Tottenham defender, 26, delivered t he glowing accolade after Manchester United striker Rashford was awarded the MBE in the Queen’s Birthday Honours. Rashford, 22, has spent mu c h o f lockdown single- handedly forcing Boris Johnson and the Government into a U-turn over providing free meal vouchers for more than one million underprivileged kids.
And after the England forward received a standing ovat i o n f r om Gareth Southgate’s squad yesterday, Dier admitted he is a shining example of what can be achieved off the pitch. The Spurs star, who will face Belgium today in the UEFA Nations League at Wembley, said: “We had a team meeting before training, the manager gave a speech on everything that Ma r c u s h a s done and congratulated him.
“We gave him a round of applause, which he fully deserves and more. “It’s a fantastic honour for him to have received the award.
“But he’s doing so much more than that. “For him to put everything into a cause that is so close to his heart and to affect change the way he has, he is just a fantastic role model.
“Not only for the kids but for us players as well. “What Marcus has done shows players that we can all have an affecting change – in a positive way – on subjects that matter dearly to us.” Of course, this time last week Dier was part of the Tottenham team that gave Rashford and United a 6-1 hiding at Old Trafford.
It was a torrid afternoon for every Red Devils flop but especially skipper Harry Maguire (below) who came in for stinging criticism for his lack of leadership.
Unsurprisingly, though, the crushing defeat has not been a topic of conversation during the international break.
But Dier, who spent a year out of the England squad after a dip in form after the World Cup in Russia two years ago, is convinced that his Three Lions defensive partner will bounce back.
“I can’t really speak about the criticism,” added Dier. “I don’t pay attention to it. It’s not my business.
“But the impact he’s had since he arrived with England and the way he played at the last World Cup shows that he’s a fantastic player.
“With his consistency, he’s very important for both United and England.
“He’s someone who I very much respect as a player and person.”
And those sentiments were echoed by Southgate, who dropped Maguire last month after a holiday bust-up with Greek police ended up in court.
Southgate said: “There’s obviously a lot that has changed in his life and a lot he’s gone through over the last couple of months.
“There’s a different level of scrutiny on his performance because he’s the captain of United but he’s absolutely outstanding as far as we’re concerned.
“He has been pivotal to every good performance over the last few years.
“We couldn’t have more faith and belief in what’s possible for him.
“Harry is a big, big player for us.”