Eric Dier first choice centre-back next season

Player Assessment: Eric Dier

Next in the assessment series is an Englishman taught his football abroad and now a centre-back come right-back for Tottenham.

Eric Dier

Eric Dier as regular readers will know is a player I wrote articles about when he was at Sporting suggesting for 2 years we should sign him. having moved to Portugal as a child he has come through the Portuguese system at Sporting (formerly Sporting Lisbon) and been taught football with a different mentality to here. In Portugal it is all about the team ethic.

They have to develop their own players and bring them through younger than we do over here, Stoke City and Sunderland didn't give a single minute of playing time to a player under the age of 21, yet Eric Dier joined us and scored in his first two games, having had to deal with being moved from centre-back to right-back.

It was a sensational start and showed the maturity he has ahead of players his own age in this country. He is a long term right-sided centre-back at Tottenham and if he develops an affinity with the club we could see him in the shirt for many years to come, I certainly hope so.

Whether playing right-back or centre-back he looked composed and comfortable, as if he belonged in the Premier League. He is proof that you don't need a run of games, you get a game, you take your chance, it's that simple. If you are mentally strong you'll deal with it, if you have a mental weakness, doubts, then you are preparing yourself to fail, Dier has that winning mentality we need.

Premier League Games Only

Eric Dier
Played: 28
Minutes: 2,298
Total Passes: 1,199
Pass Completion: 78.57%
Forward Passes: 69.97%
Key Passes: 12
Key Pass Time: 1 every 191.50 minutes
Chances Created: 14
Chance Creation Time: 1 every 164.14 minutes
Shots: 12
Shot Accuracy: 39%
Goals: 2
Assists: 2
Positive Attacking Action: 1 every 54.71 minutes
(Total Minutes divided by Shots, Goals, Assists, Key passes, Chances Created combined)
Tackles: 72
Tackles Won: 54.17%
Blocks: 11
Interceptions: 139
Clearances: 48
Take On Success: 64.71%
Header Success: 71.65%
Defensive Action: 1 every 11.61 minutes
(Total Minutes divided by Blocks, Clearances, Interceptions)

I'm expecting Eric Dier to start next season as the first choice right-sided centre-back alongside Jan Vertonghen. His development there has been hindered by having to play right-back, which when he does provides some scintillating crosses. I'd suggest he has moved ahead of Roberto Soldado as the best crosser of a ball at the club. Curved deliveries across the six-yard box where a nightmare for defenders, we should have scored more than the one goal from them. At centre-back we may miss that.

How can he improve? Well although he scored with one header on his home debut at the near post he missed several sitters during the season. Like Fazio he needs to sharpen up in that area of his game. Defensively he was caught out a few times inside our own box where attackers lost him easily so tightening up his concentration will be needed, less ball watching, more reading and anticipating.

A highly encouraging first season, who says you need to spend a fortune on a player or he has to be a household name, most Spurs fans had never heard of him when he arrived for just £4.40 million (US$6.74m - AUS$8.75m - €6.20m). After just one season the Daily Telegraph rank him in the top 20 best defenders in the Premier League.

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