Tottenham stalwart Eric Dier bid farewell to the club earlier this year, marking the end of his decade-long journey in North London.
The Englishman left on a six-month loan to Bundesliga giants Bayern Munich, with the option to extend the arrangement for another year.
And it was recently reported that Dier is set to continue with Bayern on a permanent deal next season. Earlier this month, having met the necessary appearance criteria, the centre-back triggered a clause that would convert his move to Bayern into a permanent one upon the expiry of his Spurs’ contract in June.
In a recent exclusive interview with Henry Winter, the chief football writer for The Times, Dier took time to reflect on his journey with Spurs.
The 30-year-old took a moment to express his profound gratitude towards Mousa Dembele and Jan Vertonghen, two pivotal figures who played instrumental roles in shaping his early days at the club.
Dier fondly reminisced about their influential guidance during his formative years in England, highlighting their mentorship and emphasis on accountability as invaluable lessons that shaped his growth both on and off the pitch.
He said:
“Jan and Mousa — I get emotional talking about these guys.
“They mean a lot to me, those people. I was so, so, so lucky that when I went to Tottenham they were there. I was a young kid and suddenly I was making a lot of money and playing in the Premier League, playing for England, and Jan and Mousa guided me.
“They taught me accountability. They saw me acting up in some way and said, ‘What are you doing?’ Of course I did stupid things. Every 20-year-old if they start making loads of money is going do stupid things.
“I couldn’t have asked for two better people to watch how they live their lives, how they spend their money.”
Both Jan Vertonghen and Moussa Dembele are regarded as two of the finest to play for Tottenham.
Their contributions during Mauricio Pochettino era, widely regarded as one of the club’s most exciting periods in recent history, solidified their status as revered figures among the Spurs faithful.
