Eric Dier became one of Antonio Conte's key players last season, helping Tottenham secure a fourth-place finish. The 28-year-old has received his fair share of criticism over the years, but in the last campaign, he proved himself as a strong defender and leader.
Dier is a big part of the Italian's back three, making 35 Premier League appearances in the 2021/22 campaign, with all of those games being as a starter. When he suffered a thigh injury, earlier in the year, his absence was clearly noticed and it only reiterated the impact the England international had.
Spurs are expected to look for more centre-backs during the summer window, to add quality in the depth of the squad, but also create competition for those with regular starting spots. This could mean Dier has someone trying to replace him in Conte's regular XI and even more hard work will be required.
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In an interview with Tottenham this week, the 28-year-old reflected on last season, from a team and individual perspective. "I was pleased with last season – it’s always difficult to judge yourself, it’s better for other people to do that for you, but I feel like I maintained a good level of consistency over the course of the season, I was happy with my performances and I’m excited for more," Dier admitted.
Just like a number of the Tottenham squad, the defender has been full of praise for Conte and the impact he has had, since his move to N17 in November. "I’ve been really enjoying learning this system under this manager," the England international said.
"I think everyone knows he’s the master of this system so it’s been a real education for me and one I’ve really liked. I think there’s so much for him still to teach me as well."
Dier has experienced playing as a defensive midfielder at Spurs before, but him growing as a footballer has seen him develop into the solid defender he is now. "You can never foresee the way things are going to go in football but going back to those early days I had here, it’s something that I spoke about a lot – we always saw that I would eventually be transitioned into playing in defence, a back three or a back four," the 28-year-old explained.
"Nowadays, of course, I’m happy to be playing there, getting better and better and as I said, I think I still have a lot of room before I hit my ceiling. To be here eight years now is something I’m very proud of.
"I’ve really enjoyed my time here so far and obviously Tottenham holds a special place in my heart, but there’s a few of us who have been here a long time now – me, Hugo [Lloris], Harry [Kane], Ben [Davies] – so in a way it’s a strange feeling to have enjoyed it over such a long period," he added.
With Dier being at the club so long, he has a wealth of experience under his belt and with this comes leadership. The defender's multi-lingual ability allows him to break the language barrier in the team and he is a vocal figure on the pitch.
The England man also opened up on his responsibilities off the pitch and what it is like being able to work with and give advice to Conte's younger players. "Obviously the team has changed a lot in that time, lots of new players, but it’s always enjoyable to play with new players as well, and to see young players coming through and to try to help them develop and improve," Dier admitted.
"I think we have a lot of very good young players at the moment and I’m enjoying the responsibility of trying to help them, like other players did for me in the past. You can give them so much advice because obviously you’ve gone through everything that they are going through – it doesn’t really matter if it’s on the pitch or off the pitch, you can help them in many different ways. Then obviously the most important thing is to carry yourself in the right way in order to set a good example for them to follow."
The defender's hint at working with younger players could give Conte confidence with potential new arrivals this summer. Although experience is important, to allow new players to adapt to the Premier League quickly, the impact the Italian can have on young players could mean up-and-coming talent could also be welcomed in N17.
Having leaders like Dier, who can help youngsters settle in and give them vital advice to help them develop their career, is likely to make the 52-year-old more comfortable if Spurs were to secure a deal for a younger player. Perhaps this is what the Tottenham defender believes Tottenham needs - young players with bags of potential, who can develop through Conte's influence and from senior squad members.
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