Celebrating Eric Dier the Unsung Hero of Tottenham Hotspur

With the thrill of a third win on the trot and 32 minutes of being in first place many overlooked the fact that Eric Dier played his 250th game for Tottenham.

Eric Dier was not a name many knew a lot about when he came from Sporting CP to Tottenham Hotspur in August 2014. His modest transfer fee of just £4 million did not turn a lot of heads. However, within his first two games having scored two headers in wins over West Ham and QPR, fans quickly found out who Eric Dier was. Now more than six years later Dier is as important to the team as ever.

Eric Dier has not had a straight path in his time with Tottenham Hotspur as he has bounced around a few different positions. Dier started as maybe a right back, then it was as a center-half, but then into the midfield and now back as a center half. Across all those positions, Dier’s effort and drive to do his best for Tottenham has never been questioned, regardless of the playing time he has received.

After being a good soldier toward the end of the Mauricio Pochettino reign, Dier has found new life with Jose Mourinho in charge, finally making Dier a centerpiece in his backline. The most vocal of the Tottenham defenders and certainly the one with the most footballing acumen, Dier is like having a coach on the field with his understanding of the game and what Spurs need. Ultimately, the defense will be as good as Eric Dier leads them to be.

Of the current players on the Tottenham roster only Hugo Lloris and Harry Kane have made more appearances – with both over 300 – and besides Lloris and Kane only Erik Lamela and Danny Rose have been at the club longer. Of course, Dier has made more appearances than both Lamela and Rose, which speaks to his ability to adapt to differing coaches, positions, and possibilities, which has kept him relevant over his six seasons.

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Dier has not scored since 2018-19 when he had three and has yet to provide an assist this season, but with 11 of each over his six seasons, he is bound to chip in one or two of each before the season is over. However, it is not the statistics that make Eric Dier a Tottenham great, it is his steadiness and discipline that do. Never too high when Spurs win or too low when they lose, Eric Dier is exactly the kind of leader and hero Spurs need. Congratulations on 250 appearances Eric, looking forward to 251 and many more!