Football
ESPN staff 9y

Eric Dier misses England under-21 games to focus on Tottenham

Tottenham Hotspur defender Eric Dier asked not to be considered as a right-back for the England under-21 friendlies against Portugal and France and has returned to train with his club, manager Gareth Southgate has said.

The Telegraph quoted Southgate as saying that Dier, who joined Spurs in a four million-pound summer move from Sporting Lisbon in the summer, did not feel he was good enough to play in that position and saw his future as a central defender.

The 20-year-old defender has played at right-back for the north London club for the majority of the season so far, but has not always looked comfortable as their form -- particularly at White Hart Lane -- has dipped.

He was culpable when Newcastle's Sammy Ameobi equalised within seconds of the start of the second half as a 1-0 Tottenham lead turned into a 2-1 defeat.

Southgate backed Dier's decision, saying he did not see it as a snub to England.

"It is an interesting one -- we had quite a mature conversation about it and he feels there are parts of his game that he wants to work at," he added.

"Long-term, we both agree that he is unlikely to be a full-back and is going to be a centre-half. Without wishing Mauricio [Pochettino, the Spurs manager] a problem, I think I agree with that, so we said he will stay [with Spurs].

"It's unusual because you don't get many players coming to you who say: 'I think I know what I need to work at.' He's very focused on what he feels he wants to do.

"He wants to start establishing himself as a centre-back at Tottenham, and there will be a benefit to that working on it in these periods.

"He didn't want there to be any misunderstanding about him not wanting to play for England, because he does."

Dier said on Tottenham's official website: "I spoke to Gareth Southgate and we were in complete agreement that it was the right thing to do.

"We had an open conversation and I think he was happy that I could be so honest with him. If he wasn't completely fine with this then I would never have asked because I would never want to put him in a difficult position.

"He has been fantastic with the whole situation and is really easy to talk to. I certainly would never want to give him or anyone else the wrong impression.

"It not a case that I don't want to play for England, that couldn't be further from the truth."

Meanwhile, Pochettino has questioned the mentality of his payers and believes an overhaul of the squad is needed in order to turn their fortunes around, sources have told ESPN FC.

Spurs have managed only 14 points from their opening 12 games and suffered four defeats from their six games at White Hart Lane, going down 2-1 in their most recent home game against Stoke.

The sources said many squad members had questioned Pochettino's exhausting training methods, with some are unsure what is being asked of them, while the manager has said that the players must "suffer" if they are to improve.

Pochettino could allow high-profile players including Belgium duo Jan Vertonghen and Mousa Dembele to leave as part of his clear-out, the source said.

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