Gary Lineker has taken to Twitter to react after Gareth Southgate announced his 27-man England squad, and there was no room for Tottenham defender Eric Dier.
What’s the story?
Well, the BBC Match of the Day host believes the £92,000-a-week man has been harshly treated by Southgate, after his exclusion from the UEFA Nations League squad.
Dier will be absent as England take on Hungary, Germany and Italy in Group C, despite his stunning form since Antonio Conte arrived at Spurs.
Graeme Souness even claimed that the Italian has transformed the man signed by Mauricio Pochettino in 2014.
The Tottenham No.4 made 40 appearances in all competitions, playing a crucial role in helping Tottenham qualify for the Champions League.
However, Southgate has decided to choose Fikayo Tomori, Marc Guéhi, Conor Coady, Harry Maguire, John Stones and Ben White in the centre-back department.
After hearing the news, Lineker wrote the following on Twitter.
We couldn’t agree more. With all due respect, Dier has done far more to deserve a spot in the 27-man squad over Maguire, as well as Coady.
Eric Dier exclusion could benefit Tottenham
In our view, Dier’s exclusion from the England squad could actually work in Tottenham and Conte’s favour.
With the World Cup coming up in November, the 28-year-old will be desperate to impress Southgate and earn a place in the squad for Qatar.
Dier – who is an incredible passer, according to Jermain Defoe – will only do so if he continues to impress, which can only be good news for Tottenham ahead of the 2022/23 campaign.
Should he also prove he can hold his own in the Champions League, against some of the best in Europe, Southgate will surely have no reason to exclude him once again.
Hopefully, Dier can channel the emotion of being left out into something positive, and use it as motivation over the summer.
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