EXCLUSIVE
ADVICE
Martin Keown has urged Eric Dier to forget about playing in midfield and move back into defence to get his Tottenham career back on track.
The Arsenal legend has offered Spurs man Dier some career advice following reports that claim he could be sold by the north London club in the summer if he doesn’t sign a new deal.
2
Jose Mourinho tried to sign the 26-year-old when he was Manchester United manager back in 2017, with Spurs rejecting a £40million bid from the Red Devils.
But their partnership has not worked out for the England international, whose playtime has decreased dramatically since the Portuguese’s arrival as Tottenham manager.
Dier is said to be reluctant to commit to a new contract with his current deal set to expire in 2021, and Spurs will therefore look to cash in this summer rather than risk him leaving for nothing the following year.
But, while he is out of favour with his boss, Keown has hailed Dier as ‘very good player with great quality’ - only feeling he is playing in the wrong position.
Dier was signed from Sporting in 2014 primarily as a central defender, but over the years has reinvented himself as a holding midfield player for club and country.
But Keown believes the England man still has a bright future at Tottenham if he moves back into the back-four, insisting he has all the qualities of a top centre-back.
“I think Eric Dier is a really, very good player, but he’s playing in the wrong position,” Arsenal Invincible Keown told talkSPORT host Jim White.
2
“I think he should be playing in central defence - I’ve been saying it for so long.
“If I ever saw a player with all the necessary qualities to play central defence, it’s him; he’s got power, he’s got pace, he’s got mobility, and he’s very good in possession.
“Playing in midfield has made him a much better player, but it’s now time to move into central defence, and do things quicker, with a little bit more urgency and don’t be as casual.
“I think there’s a very good central defender in there.
“In fact, if I was with Mourinho I’d be saying: ‘You’ve got to play him there. It’s time now to move him into a central defensive position’.
Jamie O'Hara says Jose Mourinho can win a trophy at Spurs
“He’s got the qualities; he was playing at right-back, centre-back and as part of a defensive three in the early part of his career at Spurs.
“I think that he thinks he’s a player - and that’s great, you need that.
“He enjoys playing in midfield and may feel moving into defence is a step backwards, but it isn’t actually.
“It would enhance his career and I believe he’d be closer to getting into the England team if he moves into that position.”