Tottenham Hotspur defender Eric Dier has been the victim of a disgraceful decision by Gareth Southgate after the Spurs man missed out on a place in the England squad, claims Spurs source John Wenham.
The Lowdown: Dier’s form
Since returning from a thigh injury in February, the 28-year-old has jumped straight back into the action at his best, having played the full 90 minutes in every Premier League fixture since.
The £92k-per-week centre-back has made featured 26 times for the Lilywhites in the top-flight this season. This adds to his impressive tally with the north London club, where he has amassed 310 appearances during his eight-year tenure.
However, following a recent announcement, Dier has missed out on a place in the England squad for their upcoming friendlies against Switzerland and the Ivory Coast.
[web_stories_embed url="https://www.footballtransfertavern.com/web-stories/tottenham-latest-news-copy/" title="Tottenham latest developments!" poster="" width="360" height="600" align="none"]
The Latest: Wenham’s claim
Wenham, an N17 insider who drops news on his Lilywhite Rose social channels, thinks it is an outrage that Dier has been omitted from the England squad.
Speaking with Football Insider, he claimed:
“I think it’s an absolute disgrace for Southgate to exclude Dier from the latest England squad.
“This is a guy who has done things for that manager on the biggest stage.
“That includes a winning penalty in a World Cup quarter-final. His form this season has been brilliant.
“Tyrone Mings has not been good this season, Conor Coady is not as good as Dier.
“I just find it baffling. From a Tottenham point of view, it will benefit us because he has a week or so to rest before our nine cup finals.
“I don’t think it’s fair that players like Marc Guehi and Ben White have been called up when Dier has just been better than them.”
The Verdict: Good for Spurs
Whilst Wenham may be outraged with the Tottenham man’s omission, this news can be looked at in a positive light for the club.
Having just recovered from an injury which kept him sidelined for four of Spurs’ Premier League games across January and February, Antonio Conte will be relieved that one of his key defenders will not be risking a potential injury over the international break.
If the Lilywhites are to make a final push for a top four finish, they will need every squad member to be at full fitness to play at Conte’s desired level, so Dier's omission could be a blessing in disguise.
In other news: Tottenham Hotspur: Fabio Paratici linked with Paulo Dybala move