Micah Richards has hailed Eric Dier for having the confidence to tell Jose Mourinho that he sees himself as a central defender rather than a defensive midfielder.
Dier has played as a sweeper in front of the back four for the majority of his time at Spurs and that is the position in which he also established himself in the England team.
However, the 26-year-old revealed publicly last season that he has always believed that central defence was his best position (Evening Standard).
Mourinho gave him opportunities at centre back after the restart last campaign and it is fair to say that Dier has grabbed them with both hands.
The England international has established himself as first-choice, with the Spurs boss now seeming to have settled on a partnership of Dier and Toby Alderweireld.
While Richards praised the Spurs star for adapting his game, he questioned whether the North Londoners can win the Premier League title with Dier at centre-back.
The former Manchester City defender told BBC Radio 5 Live: “He deserves tremendous credit. When you watch Eric Dier in centre-midfield. You just feel he is a little bit laboured and not as mobile as you would like for a midfielder.
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“Fair play to him. He has said to Mourinho he wants to play centre-half and he has done a good job in fairness. Sometimes when you play on the left-hand side of a back two, it’s difficult because of the way you come out with the ball. But because he knows how to deal with the ball, he is actually very comfortable on the ball from when he’s playing in midfield.
“The only thing is can he be a title-contender Eric Dier at centre-back? Because he’s not played there for so long, it’s yet to be seen. But I admire the confidence to go to the manager.”
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