Tottenham midfielder Eric Dier has endured a difficult season, in which he has missed out on over four months of football thanks to a succession of illness and injuries.
Dier initially suffered from appendicitis in December for which he had an operation, and was then sidelined by tonsillitis in January. The 25-year-old only featured twice after returning in March before he injured his hip while playing for England.
Being injured for such a lengthy spell must have been testing for the midfielder who has been available for selection on a consistent basis for the past few years. In fact, the former Sporting Lisbon man has been an almost ever-present in Pochettino’s teams in previous seasons.
The England international made a successful recovery from the injury when he was named in the starting line up against Man City on Saturday and played 60 minutes. After the game, Dier opened up on how difficult the last few months have been for him, particularly since he isn’t used to being injured.
Speaking to the club’s official website, he said: “I’m so happy to be back. It’s been the most difficult four months of my career and that says a lot about how lucky I’ve been up to this point to stay away from injuries and illnesses.
“I think overall I’ve been very lucky and that’s the way I look at it.
“It’s been a very difficult period but at the same time a period where I’ve been able to learn a lot of things, re-assess a lot of things, learn about myself and that’s what I’ve tried to do. Touch wood, I can kick on now and help the team.
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“As I said, I’ve been so lucky to always be fit and available and every player will have periods like this but for someone who prides himself on always being fit and available, it’s been difficult.
“Everyone has been fantastic, the boys have been incredible and it’s been nerve-wracking watching some of those games!”
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