Eric Dier praises Antonio Conte's leadership, eyes England return

Football

Published: 12 Jul. 2022, 15:08

Eric Dier praises Antonio Conte's leadership, eyes England return

Eric Dier, left, signs a young fan's shirt during a Tottenham Hotspur Global football development session with children from ChildFund Korea on Monday in Yangcheon District, western Seoul. [TOTTENHAM HOTSPUR]

Tottenham Hotspur defender Eric Dier praised teammate Son Heung-min and manager Antonio Conte in an interview in Seoul on Monday, while admitting he hopes to work his way back into the England squad ahead of the 2022 Qatar World Cup.

“I need to play as best I can for Tottenham,” Dier said while attending a Tottenham Hotspur Global football development session organized with ChildFund Korea in Yangcheon District, western Seoul on Monday. “Take everything from last season, take that and kick on even further from that and try and give myself the best possible chance — obviously that's a clear objective of mine.

“I would never shy away from that. I want to be there so it's just up to me to play the best I can.”

Dier has made 45 appearances for the England squad, but has been out of the team since the end of 2020. Although he hasn’t been called up recently, the 28-year-old has adapted under Spurs’ manager Conte and hopes to prove himself over the next few months.

“I think it's a lot easier to play when you're enjoying yourself every day, who you're working with,” Dier said. “I enjoy the manager and the coaching staff and the way they work. It motivates me — I'm learning a system under him here I think it's his system. He's the best at it.

“That's something that's really enjoyable and I think on a personal level what's most exciting is there are so many things I can improve on and get better under him.”

Looking back on last season, Dier also discussed Son’s pursuit of the 2022 Premier League Golden Boot — which he won with 23 goals, tied with Liverpool’s Mohamed Salah — and his efforts to make sure the Korean forward believed he had what it takes.

“Obviously I spoke to Sonny about it,” said Dier. “I really believed that he could win it and I just wanted to make sure he believed it as well. I think he did.

“I’d always tell him before every game; you’re going to win the Golden Boot, you’re going to win the Golden Boot.”

Dier said Son’s success last season was all thanks to hard work.

“I was really, really happy when he did it and he really deserves it. He had an incredible season. To score that many goals and to not take penalties is an incredible achievement.

“There’s no reason he can’t [win it again] after what he did last season. I think if he did what he did last season again he would be very close. There are a lot of fantastic players in the Premier League and there is going to be a lot of competition, but I’m sure if he wants it, he can.”

Veteran defender Dier and the rest of the Tottenham Hotspur squad arrived in Korea on Sunday afternoon, arriving at Incheon International Airport in Incheon where they met by Son himself and thousands of Korean fans.

“The reception was incredible at the airport,” Dier said. “I didn’t expect that to be honest. It was amazing at the airport, at the hotel and everywhere since.”

While in Korea, Spurs will play two exhibition games: First against Team K League, an All-Star squad of the domestic league’s top players, on Wednesday, and then against La Liga club Sevilla on Saturday.

For Dier, the games promise to be two very different experience.

“To play against the K League, to play the best players from Korea, that’s going to be very exciting for us and a new experience to see the players that are playing here,” Dier said. “Against Sevilla, [Erik] Lamela was at Tottenham for a long time and is a very close friend of mine, so to play against him will be nice, although he kicks you a lot.”

Aside from the two exhibition games, Spurs will be holding a number of different events while in Korea, like Monday’s football development session with ChildFund Korea, a charity that aims to support children from low-income families to help develop their talents.

Dier also has a few things he’d like to tick off his to-do list before jetting back to London next week.

“I want to go have Korean BBQ,” Dier said. “Sonny has taken us a few times to Korean restaurants so I think we’ll get the chance to do that and that’s the thing I want to do the most.

“I’m very excited to get to know Korea and see different things. On Friday, I’m going to a museum as well and will get the chance to see a bit more.”

BY YUN SO-HYANG AND JIM BULLEY [jim.bulley@joongang.co.kr]