FC Bayern have signed Eric Dier from Tottenham Hotspur, handing the defender the No.15 shirt. Find out more about the 29-year-old England international in our profile.
Dier is a versatile new addition at the back for Bayern, capable of playing in the centre of defence, right-back or even in defensive midfield. “He’s now a specialist as a centre-back. He also played a lot of Premier League games in holding midfield but mostly played in central defence of late. He can play as either of the centre-backs or in a three,” said Thomas Tuchel at his press conference on Thursday. The 1.88m-tall (6’2’’) England international also brings a great deal of experience to the squad in Munich with 274 Premier League appearances and 49 senior caps.
Youth at Sporting
Dier – full name Eric Jeremy Edgar Dier – was born on 15 January 1994 in Cheltenham, southwest England. However, he grew up with his family in Portugal, where his mother later got a job working at Euro 2004 in the country. He comes from a sporting family. His grandfather Ted Croker was a former secretary at the FA and his father was a professional tennis player. When his parents returned to the UK in 2010, young Eric remained in Portugal, living at the Sporting Lisbon academy, where he’d played since the age of nine.
Senior debut in Portugal
The defender returned to his homeland for a loan spell at Everton between January 2011 and summer 2012. He then went back to Portugal and played for Sporting’s reserves before his senior debut with the capital club on 11 November 2012, even providing the assist in the 1-0 win over Braga.
Move to Spurs
His good performances in Portugal caught the eye back home, where Dier permanently returned in 2014/15 when signing for Tottenham as a 20-year-old. The all-rounder made a total of 365 competitive appearances for the North London club, scoring 13 goals. Dier is yet to win a trophy at senior, which is something he will hope changes quickly at Bayern.
Reunited with Kane
The 29-year-old will be reunited in Germany with an old friend in Harry Kane, who swapped London for Munich in the summer. The pair know each other very well from their many years together at Tottenham and with England.
World Cup and Euros with England
After representing England at U18, U19, U20 and U21 level, Dier earned his first senior cap on 13 November 2005 in a 2-0 loss to Spain. His first international goal came against his new home with a 3-2 friendly win against Germany in Berlin in March 2016. His reacquainted teammate Kane scored the opener for the Three Lions that day. His highlights for his country include playing at Euro 2016 and the World Cups in 2018 and 2022.
Dier off the pitch
Dier, who is married, likes to play golf, including with Kane. That will certainly go down well in Munich with keen player Thomas Müller. He also enjoys watching sports and has a soft spot for tennis and chess. For those wondering how he takes his tea, it’s without milk or sugar. And his athletic physique has earned him the nickname ‘Viking’ among friends.
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