On top: Eric Dier
(Picture: The FA via Getty Images)Ledley King has backed Tottenham defender Eric Dier to start for England at the upcoming World Cup.
The 28-year-old has been ever-present in Antonio Conte's back three this season, and his form earned him a recall to Gareth Southgate’s squad after an 18-month absence.
Dier again played every available minute for the Three Lions across games against Italy and Germany in the final meet ahead of the Qatar tournament, while positional rival Harry Maguire’s Manchester United struggles extended onto the international stage.
“As an English centre-back, he has already been around it and for me, he has virtually been the best English centre-back over the last 12 months, so I am delighted he got recalled in the England squad,” King told Standard Sport while speaking at the launch of Coca-Cola’s Believing is Magic campaign for the FIFA World Cup.
“What goes unnoticed with Eric is his leadership qualities. He is the vocal person at the back. Even when he was new in the position he was which says a lot.
“Now he has grown in confidence and understands the positions and role. His leadership qualities are definitely important to the team. He can speak English and Portuguese so he can communicate with everyone as well which is something that goes unnoticed.
“He has just improved his all-round game. He has always been comfortable on the ball but the type of defending is different from midfield. He is improving his reading of the game and positioning. It just comes with understanding the positioning and Conte trusts him and is playing every week and he shows it.”
Former Spurs captain King has worked closely with Dier in recent years, having been appointing assistant coach and then first-team assistant coach during Jose Mourinho’s 17-month reign.
“The position was new to him when I was coaching a few seasons ago and we committed him to be a centre-back,” he added. “I knew there’d be a few teething issues in terms of defensive positioning and responsibilities.
“It is a position where you have to know where the danger is always coming from. I always felt that there would be mistakes and for any player there would be that.
“The difficult part for Eric was that there wasn’t a stable back four. It was always chop and change with formation as well which was never going to help him. I had a conversation with him a few years ago telling him that he would go on to be a top centre back having had that experience in midfield.“
