Antonio Conte lavishes praise on Eric Dier ahead of the Tottenham Hotspur vs West Ham United fixture
In his pre-match presser ahead of the West Ham United fixture (h/t Football.London), Tottenham Hotspur manager Antonio Conte spoke highly of Eric Dier. The Italian manager highlighted that the 28-year-old could make it to the England team for the World Cup should he continue performing at the same level.
There must have been a few raised eyebrows when Dier wasn’t in the squad for the upcoming friendlies of the Three Lions squad. Whilst the centre-back has had his issues with injury this campaign, he has been a dependable option whenever available.
One could argue that the English squad does have a rich plethora of options when it comes to central defence. That being said, Harry Maguire who has had a tumultuous season so far getting the nod ahead of the Spurs defender seems a bit too conspicuous at the moment.
Speaking in the pre-match press conference ahead of the West Ham game (h/t Football.London), Conte has backed Eric to secure a spot in the upcoming England World Cup squad should he continue on the same trajectory.
“He’s working very hard and in this moment he’s one of the best defenders in the league. He has also big space to improve his performance and his quality and to become a stronger and stronger player.
“He knows Eric very well and he has not to discover Eric because he was previously in the national team. I’m sure if Eric continues to play this way, he has a great possibility to go to the World Cup because, I repeat, he’s one of the best defenders in this league.”
The Boss backs Dier
The 52-year-old manager has backed Eric Dier which would certainly do his confidence a world of good. The 28-year-old English international used to majorly be employed as a defensive midfielder until a few years ago.
He then started him cementing his place as a centre-back under former manager Jose Mourinho and has now made that position his very own at Hotspur Way. Dier has managed to anchor a relatively young backline to the best of his abilities in recent memory.
That does not go without saying that there is still more room for improvement as hinted by the former Juventus manager. The English defender is still one of the most experienced players at the club from N-17.
The likes of Ben Davies and Cristian Romero are usually paired with Dier at the back whenever fit. While this seems to be the most consistent partnership under Conte, the North Londoners have at times crumbled under opposition pressure, especially towards the end of the game.
There is still some time to go before the World Cup and the 28-year-old will be hoping that he can manage to secure a place in the England squad at that time. Considering that these are just friendlies and do not hold any competitive significance, Gareth Southgate would be opting to give some of the fringe players a chance to prove their worth.
The likes of Ben White and Marc Guehi have also been included in the team for the friendlies. Whilst the World Cup has some time, Eric Dier and Antonio Conte will be looking to help put up better performances for Tottenham Hotspur on a more regular basis at the moment.
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Not only would this help the Spurs defender’s chances but also push the club in the right direction, and fingers crossed, help us secure UEFA Champions League qualification for next season.
