Tottenham boss Mauricio Pochettino has said that one of the biggest risks of his managerial career was putting his trust in Eric Dier.
After arriving at the North London club from Sporting Lisbon in 2014, Dier has gone on to establish himself as a key part of the club due to his ability to play as both a centre back and central midfielder.
Whilst discussing the England international, Pochettino said, “Managers love a player like that in their squad. We are very proud of him.
“We signed him as a young centre back but we decided to give him the possibility to play in midfield when we signed Toby Alderweireld. The club decision was to sign another midfielder or give that possibility to Eric.
“It is true we found a way for him to play comfortable on the pitch – without possession to play like a third centre back dropping his position between Toby and Jan and in possession to move in front, playing with Ryan Mason or MousaDembele and try to be a midfielder.
“We took a big risk not signing another midfielder and it was fantastic. He deserved all the praise and our decision paid off to be brave and give him the possibility to play in a club like Tottenham when you fight for big things.
Dier had been linked with a move to Manchester United during the summer and he is also one of the players who Spurs could risk losing if they fail to win trophies in the near future.
