Dier determined to maintain top form

Eric Dier is eyeing a consistent run of performances after slotting in at centre-back on Sunday – and says it’s up to him to make that happen.

The England international impressed in the heart of our defensive line in spite of the defeat to Wolves at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, manning the barricades with Davinson Sanchez and Japhet Tanganga providing pace and power either side of him in a three-at-the-back system.

It’s a position Eric knows well, having featured there regularly in 2016/17, before returning to the holding midfield role that initially won him his place in the England squad in 2015 the following season.

Having struggled for regular starts during the closing months of the last campaign and the first part of this one following a bout of appendicitis in December, 2018, and subsequent illness, he’s now determined to take his game to new levels under Jose Mourinho.

“This year I’ve been fine, I haven’t really had a problem health-wise, it’s just getting game time really – other than that, from a health point of view, I think I’ve been okay this season,” said the 26-year-old in the aftermath of Sunday’s 3-2 loss.

“That consistency of playing is what everyone wants but it’s up to us as individuals to perform in the right way to deserve it.

“As I’ve said, centre-back is a position where I see my future, where I think I can be the best I can be, but every opportunity I get to play I’m really happy with and I always try to show my qualities. Ultimately, though, it doesn’t really matter how well you play individually if you’re losing.”

Sunday’s clash with Wolves could have gone either way. We twice took the lead through Steven Bergwijn and Serge Aurier to lead 2-1 at the break, only for the visitors to turn it around in the second half.

“I think we played very well, it was just about those moments where we needed to make challenges at the right times and be a bit more clever,” Eric added. “As the manager said as well, it’s about being cleverer in those moments – I think Wolves did very well and we should have done better in that respect.”

We return to action at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on Wednesday night in the fifth round of the FA Cup, with Norwich City the visitors for a 7.45pm kick-off.