The day Dier told Southgate not to pick him
TWO years ago Gareth Southgate was preparing England’s Under 21s for two important games when he received a phone call from Eric Dier. The side, who had just qualified for Euro 2015, were playing Portugal and France so Southgate could work out his best XI for the tournament. Dier, playing for Tottenham as a right back then, felt the need to speak to the head coach. He had only just moved to England from Sporting Lisbon and was anxious about how he was progressing. So he told Southgate he wanted to continue his development by training with his club instead. This was not him turning his back on England, just a young man committed to self-improvement. Dier appreciated that his decision could carry consequences, and, as it turned out, his form was not good enough to make the Euro 2015 squad. But his honesty struck a chord with Southgate. ‘It took me by surprise, Southgate said at the time. ‘But I got what he was saying and it was quite refreshing. He completely had my blessing.’ Southgate was impressed that Dier, then 20, was prepared to make a big call and that will give you some idea why the interim manager has not flinched in making a big call of his own, putting him in the heart of his team in place of Wayne Rooney for tonight’s Group F qualifier. During the past 14 months, nurtured by Spurs boss Mauricio Pochettino, Dier has become an impressive defensive midfielder and was arguably England’s best performer at Euro 2016, scoring a stunning free-kick against Russia. ‘The manager at my club lives by the policy that if you’re good enough, you’re old enough,’ Dier said after his last game for the Under 21s in Norway last September. ‘If he puts his faith in you, you have to repay him.’ He has done that, and the performances Dier produced in France show Pochettino’s influence. Dier, who Southgate got to know when taking him to the Toulon Tournament in May 2014, had the most passes (271) and most completed passes (242). Second in those charts was Rooney. Now the onus is on him to do it again. Southgate knew Dier was bold when he made that call in 2014. The 22-year-old needs to be similarly unflappable tonight when he takes the mantle from England’s most famous player. The man who has given him the chance has no doubts. ‘I have to say I think Eric was our best player in the summer,’ said Southgate. ‘As the coach, you have to look at what is right. He’s an outstanding young player and warrants his opportunity.’