Eric Dier has come out in support of England and Tottenham teammate Dele Alli, as the former MK Dons man has received criticism for not having the best of seasons this time around.

The pair is a part of Gareth Southgate’s squad for the World Cup in Russia and when asked if the criticism was fair, Dier was quoted by Sky Sports News as saying:

“That is the world we live in, whether it’s fair or not. I don’t think so, but that’s the world he is going to live in for a long time so he will have to get used to it.

“He is always going to be someone that is going to divide opinion and I think he is comfortable with that. He’s very comfortable with who he is and I think he should be – he is a fantastic young boy and a great player.”

The former Sporting Lisbon man also added that Alli could become an even better player and should be proud of what he has achieved so far in his career.

Dier added: “He can be an even better player, he can improve in everything and I think he knows that but I think he can be very proud of what he is at the moment and hopefully continue to improve on and off the field, like all of us can.”

Alli didn’t reach the heights of last season where he scored 18 times in the league. This time around, he scored only 9 times and even picked up 7 bookings but there is hope for the national side as they look to perform well in Russia.

“Everyone wants to do as well as possible in this tournament,” Dier continued. One of the big things is we want to be proactive in this tournament and go head-on into the challenge.

“Obviously, it’ll be a big challenge and you’ll need to have the right attitude to be successful in it and a bit of luck – which everyone needs. Hopefully we can have those things and face the challenge on the front foot instead of being reactive and sitting back.”

Surely, Alli is someone who has a strong head to pick himself up after going down. His talent is immense and I’m confident that he’ll do well in Russia.