- Planet Sport writer
- 27 April 2024
Thomas Tuchel lauds Eric Dier's impact at Bayern Munich
Bayern Munich's head coach Thomas Tuchel has showered praise on Eric Dier, the English defender who joined the German club on loan from Tottenham Hotspur.
Eric Dier is a towering central defender, who can also play in a central midfield and across the back line.
The England international played a role in Tottenham Hotspur's run to the Champions League final in the 2018/19 season but started to drift out of Spurs' first-team plans.
Fans voiced their frustration at his performances, with boiling point being reached when Dier confronted fans following the home defeat against Norwich in the FA Cup in 2020, and he was charged with misconduct.
However, he has found a new lease of life under Spurs manager Antonio Conte and has forced his way back into the England squad.
But with another change of management in the 2023/24 season, boss Ange Postecoglou moved Dier to Bayern Munich on loan in the January transfer window.
After impressing in Germany, the move was made permanent in March 2024.
Early career
As a child, Dier was raised in Portugal, he is fluent in both Portuguese and English.
His early footballing career came at the prestigious academy of Sporting Lisbon which he joined in 2003, when he was nine. He was sent on loan to Everton in 2011 but struggled to make an impact and didn't make a senior appearance in English football.
On his return to Portugal he made his debut with Sporting B during the 2012/13 season in the Segunda Liga. During the same season he battled his way in main first team setting up an assist in his first game over Braga.
In his second game, a 2-2 draw away at Moreirense, Dier was on the scoresheet.
He made 32 appearances for Sporting Lisbon during his time at the club, scoring one goal and laying on five assists.
Moving to Tottenham
Dier signed a five-year contract with the London club in August 2014, in a deal worth £4million.
Sporting claimed that they were forced to sell Dier as a result of a previous agreement where the offer had to be accepted or Dier's wage was to be increased, an option that was impossible due to Sporting's wage structure at the time.
He was to make an instant impact at Spurs, with a goal on debut to earn all three points against local rivals West Ham United.
His goalscoring continued into the next game, scoring against another London rival, Queens Park Rangers in a 4-0 home victory. The commanding central defender became a mainstay at the club and made 36 appearances in his first season including a start in the League Cup final against Chelsea.
During his time at Tottenham, Dier has played in three finals, two in the League Cup and one in the Champions League but been on the losing side in all three.
In recent seasons, Dier has struggled with consistency. However, the appointment of Antonio Conte and the three-at-the-back system that he has implemented has reinvigorated Dier's domestic career and earned him a call-up for the Qatar World Cup.
The arrival of Postecoglou in summer 2023 saw Dier once again pushed to the fringes of the first-team squad.
Postecoglou made clear at the beginning of the campaign that Dier could leave Tottenham, but he remained following the summer transfer window and eventually made his first appearance in the 4-1 defeat to Chelsea in November.
He was handed a start in Spurs’ next fixture at Wolves, but only made two substitute outings after that.
Dier moves to Bayern Munich
On January 11, 2024, he completed a 'dream move' to Bayern Munich on an initial six-month deal, which can be extended by a further year.
He left Tottenham after 10 seasons in north London and 365 appearances, having helped the club reach two League Cup finals and the Champions League final in 2019.
Dier impressed at Bayern and in March 2024, after playing a certain number of games for Bayern Munich, he triggered a clause in his contract that allowed him to join the German giants permanently.
Eric Dier's international career
In his youth career, he was a constant figure in the junior English setup following his call-up for Noel Blake's Under-18 side in 2011.
His first senior call-up came following excellent performances in the Premier League, with manager Roy Hodgson handing him a substitute appearance in a 2-0 defeat to Spain before Dier made his full debut in the next game a 2-0 win against France.
Dier would score England's first goal in the 2016 European Championship with a fantastic free-kick against Russia. England failed to progress past Iceland and the Hodgson era came to an end.
However, Dier was to remain in the plans of the next manager Gareth Southgate. He was given the opportunity to captain the side for the first time in the 0-0 draw with Germany in 2017.
He also captained England in the defeat to Belgium in the final group game of the 2018 World Cup. In this tournament Dier was hero for Southgate's side as he scored the winning penalty in the shootout against Colombia. England lost in the semi-finals against Croatia.
Dier was part of the England's Nations League squad that finished third in 2019, and during the 2020 tournament but then after this he spent a long time in international wilderness.
He returned in September 2022 and started in the 1-0 Nations League defeat against Italy and the 3-3 draw with Germany.
The centre-back has not played for the national team since their World Cup last-16 win over Senegal in December 2022 and was overlooked for the England's Euro 2024 squad.
Dier's personal life
Dier is currently dating model Anna Modler an ex on former Arsenal player Alexis Sanchez. He was with Maria Hansen since 2014.
Net worth
Dier is reportedly on an annual salary of £3.7m-a-year, around £72K a week.
