Eric Dier has said that he does not take Ange Postecoglou’s decision to overlook him personally, acknowledging that the Australian might have not liked his qualities as a player.
While Dier may not have been rated by some sections of the Tottenham fan base, the centre-back was always valued highly by almost all the managers he had at Tottenham.
The likes of Mauricio Pochettino, Jose Mourinho, Nuno Espirito Santo and Antonio Conte all handed key roles to the Englishman and even spoke highly of him.
However, things changed for the 30-year-old after Postecoglou arrived through the door last summer, with the Australian evidently not seeing the centre-back as a great fit for his high line.
In fact, the Spurs head coach was hesitant to hand Dier opportunities even when both of his first-choice centre-backs, Cristian Romero and Micky van de Ven, were out with injuries earlier this season.
Eric Dier does not have a grudge against Postecoglou
The former Sporting Lisbon man has got his career back on track since his move to the Allianz Arena, having become a regular in Bayern’s starting eleven over recent months.
Dier remarked that he does not hold Postecoglou’s decision to overlook him against the Spurs boss, insisting that he learned a lot from the few months he worked together with the 58-year-old.
When asked about not being favoured by Postecoglou, Dier told The Athletic: “I didn’t take it personally, him not playing me. If he doesn’t like me, it’s not a problem for me. Lots of people won’t like me, lots of people like me, it’s irrelevant.
“I try to look at it through my own point of view: do I like the manager, for who he is as a person, and the way he is as a coach? It doesn’t matter to me if I’m playing or not. And I really, really enjoyed working under him, and I learned a hell of a lot.
“I’d love to sit down and talk to him now. I have so many questions — about the way he does certain things and why he does them. Hopefully, one day, I’ll be able to.”
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Most people, especially those working at the highest level of their profession necessarily have to have nan unwavering self-confidence (and the ego that comes with it). They thus cannot help but have some ill feelings towards those who rejected them.
It thus shows how emotionally mature Dier is that he is able to overcome that instinct and take the positives from the few months he spent together with Postecoglou.