Danny Mills has claimed that Eric Dier wouldn’t have been able to get assurances about where he will play after he penned a new contract at Tottenham today, as posted on the club’s official website.
The former England defender also remarkably claimed that not even Lionel Messi would be able to get assurances of the position he wants to play for Barcelona, as he told Sky Sports News (21/07/20 at 10:05 am).
Ever since Mourinho became Tottenham boss, Dier’s game time has increased, and prior to his ban, he was a regular at the heart of his side’s defence.
Mills was asked whether Dier would have been given assurances during his contract negations regarding how regularly he would play and where he would play in the near future.
“Not unless you are an absolute superstar,” Mills told Sky Sports. “I think we even saw with Lionel Messi. He was at one stage pushed out to the right-hand side, he wasn’t the centre-forward.
“You have to be Cristiano Ronaldo to demand those types of things. I think we will see a lot more of these contract [signings] over the course of the summer. I think it will be about clubs retaining players and giving them a new deal to keep them at the club. Rather than bringing in new players.
“With everything that has happened over the last four or five months. Everything that might happen in five or six months, where we a still a little unsure. Will players want to move in the window? Up their families and all the changes that come about that. New surroundings, new protocols and everything? I think we’ll see a lot more players and clubs saying ‘okay, just stick around for another couple of years and keep everything settled’ rather than an influx of new transfers.”
It isn’t a surprise that Dier has penned a new deal because Jose Mourinho has always been a fan of the versatile defender.
That was proven when he started his first game in charge – Spurs’ win at London rivals West Ham.
During his time in North London, Dier has played at centre-back, right-back, and mainly as a number six, but it seems as though Spurs fans will see him playing at the back from now on.
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