Eric Dier thanked everyone at Tottenham for helping him get called up to England and hinted he wasn’t ready to settle for a small role under the national team boss , Gareth Southgate.
The centre-back won the last of his 45 caps in November 2020 and looked likely to miss the World Cup when he was snubbed for international matches earlier this summer.
Dier finished last season in excellent form but continued it during the current campaign with Southgate, this time bringing the 28-year-old back into the squad for the next Nations League games with Italy and Italy. ‘Germany.
A key member of England’s run to the 2018 World Cup semi-finals, the versatile Spurs player saw his role diminish in importance in the years that followed, but believes his return to the Three Lions is just the beginning.
“I’m just looking forward to it and I think, as my manager (Antonio Conte) said during the week, for me it’s my ambition that it’s just a starting point for me. I think I can still do a lot more,” Dier said.
“Honestly, it wasn’t (a callback) what I was thinking. I just thought I was the best player I could be for Tottenham and everything that’s happening is a consequence of that.
“I think that was the only thing I had to focus on and the only thing that was under my control. Everything else that happens, happens.
“For me, I’m just very grateful for the way my teammates, the coaching staff and everyone at Tottenham supported me, pushed me and tried to help me get back into the national team. .”
Dier scored his second goal of the season in Leicester’s 6-2 win on Saturday but saw his heroics overshadowed by Son Heung-min’s sensational hat-trick.
The former Sporting Lisbon defender believes the ’tilts will open’ for Son now and the Spurs number seven, who had gone eight games without a goal, believes this difficult spell will help him to strengthen.
Son said: “Obviously it was a tough time, tough first few games, but look, it’s a lesson. That’s how I’ve always been.
“I have experience in professional football teams. I’ve had bad times and I’ve had amazing times.
“Even when I had a good time I learned so many things and even a bad time I think you know that in life in the bad time you learn so many good things. That’s what what I’m doing right now.
“I don’t think it’s that bad, but with those tough times, I had so many lessons and I just had really good people around me to help me, which was really, really important.”
Spurs manager Gian Piero Ventrone, who notably put players through grueling training drills in pre-season, has been a key person in helping Son get back into shape.
“Yeah, he’s a killer,” Son laughed.
“He’s a killer but I have a very, very good relationship with Gian Piero. Obviously his English isn’t perfect, sometimes he comes with his phone and translates into English from Italian. It means a lot .
“Not as footballing, I think in life he gives me so much advice, which I’m really grateful for. He was so helpful, always giving me a big hug in difficult times and even in good times, he has always been beside me and every staff member.
“Even on Saturday before leaving the training ground, the hotel, we had a few minutes to have a nice chat which made me really feel at ease and really grateful.”
