Eric Dier

Early career

While playing football at the International Preparatory School in Lisbon, Dier's footballing ability was spotted by his P.E. teacher Miguel Silva, who referred him to Sporting CP for a trial at the age of eight. Dier signed professional terms with Sporting CP in April 2010. The Portuguese club beat Arsenal, Manchester United and Tottenham Hotspur to his signature. Sporting CP also sold 50% economic rights of the player to a third-party owner, Quality Football Ireland Limited. In January 2011, Dier agreed to join Everton on loan until 30 June. Sporting CP's official website stated that the loan was "an opportunity for the athlete to grow in a more competitive and demanding environment". Dier represented Everton U18s ten times during his loan spell and won the 2010–11 U18 Premier League with the team. Dier encountered difficulties settling in Liverpool, but in the summer of 2011, he extended his loan stay in the Everton academy for an additional 12 months.

Breakthrough at Sporting

On 26 August 2012, Dier made his debut with Sporting B in a 2012–13 Segunda Liga 3–1 away win against Atlético, replacing Diego Rubio in the 77th minute. On 4 November 2012, Dier scored his first senior goal with a direct free kick against Benfica B in a 3–1 away win in the Segunda Liga. On 11 November 2012, Dier was called to play for the first team in a Primeira Liga 1–0 home win against Braga. Fifteen days later, he scored his first goal for Sporting CP's first squad…

Youth

Dier had been approached by the Portuguese Football Federation to play for Portugal in the future, but could only do so once he turned 18. He had been involved in a high-profile England national team kit promotion for sportswear manufacturers Umbro. Upon his signing for Everton, an FA spokesman said, "Our intention will be to select him for the youth squad in the coming weeks," referring to the 2011 edition of the under-17 international Algarve Tournament. Dier earned his first England call-up in November 2011 when under-18 head coach Noel Blake picked him for a match against Slovakia. He played the full 90 minutes in the 1–1 draw on 16 November 2011. On 28 May 2013, he was named in manager Peter Taylor's 21-man squad for the 2013 FIFA U-20 World Cup. He made his debut on 16 June in a 3–0 win in a warm-up match against Uruguay. Dier made his debut for the England under-21s on 13 August 2013 in a 6–0 win against Scotland. In 2014, he pulled out of the squad, informing manager Gareth Southgate that he did not want to be deployed as a right-back anymore and would rather work on the centre-back position at his club, Tottenham.

Senior

On 5 November 2015, Dier was selected for the first time to the England senior team by manager Roy Hodgson ahead of friendlies against Spain and France. He made his debut eight days later against the former at Alicante's Estadio José Rico Pérez as a 63rd-minute substitute alongside his Tottenham teammate Dele Alli in a 2–0…

Dier can play as a midfielder, centre-back and right-back. It has been noted that his versatility enabled Tottenham's effective adoption of a flexible approach, allowing them to switch systems efficiently within a single match. Dier has said that he has mixed Portuguese and English footballing styles on his own. In 2018, ESPN's Mark Ogden described Dier as "more of a destroyer than a creator".

Dier was born in Cheltenham, Gloucestershire to Jeremy and Louise Dier. His father is a former professional tennis player. Dier is the grandson of Ted Croker, a former secretary of The Football Association (FA) and president of Cheltenham Town, and great-nephew of Peter Croker, who both played professionally for Charlton Athletic. Dier moved to Portugal from England in 2001 with his parents and five siblings (two sisters and three brothers) when he was seven years old. They spent a year living in Lagos, Algarve region, where he briefly played in the youth football team of Esperança de Lagos, before moving to Lisbon. After the move, his mother was offered a job running the hospitality programme at UEFA Euro 2004. Dier was accepted by Sporting CP's youth academy, and in 2010, his parents returned to England while Dier remained in Portugal, living at Sporting CP's Academia Sporting in Alcochete.