Eric Dier- Our Unsung Enforcer

A season of delight and despair for many of us. We battled hard, we ran fast and didn’t stop until the very end. The players, putting their bodies on the line, sprinting at the defence of any team and playing in absolute style. For many years at Tottenham, only one player each season has outshone the rest and an obvious player of the year has been chosen. With names such as Harry Kane, Christian Eriksen, Gareth Bale, Jermain Defoe and Robbie Keane. But in our 2015/16 season Toby Alderweireld edged the award beating stars in our squad like Dele Alli, Harry Kane, Hugo Lloris and Moussa Dembélé.

But which player really reinforced our revolutionary season and helping to reach our highest league finish in our time in the Premier League finishing 3^rd?

Eric Dier. A player who has really impressed this year. Taking it back all the way to the first game, I felt uneasy by the team selection. Dier was placed in the holding role alongside Nabil Bentaleb. Nervous? Yes, uninspired? Totally. What made me think we was in for a very long, tedious season eventually was played down by seeing Eric grow into his new role and enforce his place into the starting line-up for us for the rest of the season.

Indeed, we did struggle to get off the mark. But Dier showed no signs of slowing down after he netted the opening goal in our 2-2 draw with Stoke on the 15^th August 2015. Eric snuck to the front post and headed home a terrific cross from Eriksen from a corner. Eric emphasised his ability in our fixture against Everton, despite only drawing 0-0, Dier was solid in the midfield once again and was a prime factor making an unstoppable challenge on the breaking Tom Cleverley.

But when did it really start to click? I will tell you exactly. After being miserably knocked out of the League Cup to Woolwich F.C (Arsenal) we faced Manchester City in the league. Unbelievably we walked away 4-1 winners with Dier scoring a crucial equaliser just before the break and let’s just say… It was well struck. In a recent interview with Spurs TV Dier spoke about that match saying ‘That definitely was one of my highlights’.

He continued to talk about he turned many doubters into believers. ‘that was a bit of turning point for me, obviously playing in a new position and playing well that game made me believe in myself, lots of people were doubting it in the beginning,  Thanks to a promo code I won £300 on Dier scoring a free-kick in the Euro’s.

Not only has Dier been rock solid in front of the defence helping Alderweireld and Vertonghen keep out as many goals as possible, but he has been an attacking threat hitting the net 3 times and providing 2 assists. Not only that but Dier managed to score on his first start for England in Berlin against the World champions Germany. In his usual fashion, dier made a run towards the front post and scored the winner in a 3-2 result for England.

In a post match interview with Spurs TV after the match at Stamford Bridge, Dier gave us all the more season to shout his name around White Hart Lane. Dier said ‘I hear people say stuff about Tottenham and I don’t like it, and I don’t think the other boys like it either.’ Of course, Eric. We’re Spurs fan. You get used to the abuse but that never stops us does it?

So as we sit at home and wait for the long summer period to end, and the mighty Spurs return. Make sure you watch Eric as he steps back onto the pitch and continue to go the way he did last season and enforcing more great results and maybe, just maybe pop up for a near post header.