Tottenham Hotspur central defender Eric Dier loves his head coach Antonio Conte, according to comments from his former Sporting Lisbon coach Jose Joao in The Athletic.
Joao was Tottenham and England international central defender Dier’s first coach and saw him through the Under-9s to the Under-11s at Sporting Lisbon.
He has said that he spoke to the 28-year-old, who can also operate as a defensive midfielder, in the summer about current Tottenham head coach Conte.
What Eric Dier thinks about Tottenham Hotspur head coach Antonio Conte
Joao said: “Today, Eric is a reference point at Tottenham. He’s a leader; people listen to what he says, and you can see the influence he has on the team.
“He loves the manager. When I saw him in the summer, I asked him which coach he identified with the most across his entire career, and he said it was (Antonio) Conte — you can see that the atmosphere at Tottenham today is different.
“He’s also an incredible human being. He still looks like the little kid I first met all that time ago. He’s still shy and reserved, that hasn’t changed. He’s a fantastic person and it’s a big honour to have coached him.”
Important player for Spurs
In our view, Eric Dier is a very important player for Tottenham Hotspur and is a key figure in head coach Antonio Conte’s side.
The 28-year-old has been on the books of Spurs since 2014 and has been brilliant for the North London club over the years.
Dier has scored 11 goals and created 14 big chances in 243 appearances in the Premier League so far in his career.
Now, of course, there is competition for places in the Tottenham first team at the moment.
With Clement Lenglet joining Spurs on loan in the summer transfer window, Conte now has more options at the back.
However, Dier’s importance in the Tottenham first team cannot be undermined.
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