English football fans are well-familiar with Eric Dier, who is often described by both fans and football experts as a ‘utility man’ on the football pitch.
Now, if it was anyone else other than Eric Dier, that would not sound like a compliment, but anybody who has ever seen him play knows how accurate this description really is. He can cover multiple positions, which is a rare feat nowadays among elite-level football players.
For instance, Dier spent most of his first Premier League season as a centre-back and full-back for Tottenham, and he also fit right in when it came time to playing for the national team, where he excelled at helping England retain possession of the ball.
But, many often forget the fact that Dier not only had to adjust to playing in the Premier League, but also to life in England. You see, Dier is somewhat of an odd man out in his home country. Although he was born in England to English parents, he spent pretty much the entirety of his childhood and adolescence in Lisbon, Portugal, where he played for Sporting’s younger categories.
According to Eric Dier himself, although he’s an Englishman through and through, he considers Lisbon his home. He was even offered the chance to play for Portugal’s national team, which he declined and opted for England, which was his dream ever since he first kicked a football.
Playing football in Portugal also meant that he would receive a Portuguese education, which he did. The two-country upbringing set him apart from his peers when he landed in Portugal as a six-year-old, not speaking a word of Portuguese, and it set him apart once again, when he came back to England to play for Tottenham.
He had to fight to have his voice heard
Being a kid from England and not knowing a single word of Portuguese must have been a huge challenge. However, being one of six children, it was business as usual for Dier, as he was used to battling to have his voice heard. Of course, he picked up Portuguese pretty quickly, which in turn boosted his confidence both in school and on the football pitch. He even became the team captain of his age group in Sporting, and spoke to his teammates in fluent Portuguese.
Also, the main difference between coaching in Portugal and coaching in England, is that coaches in Portugal didn’t yell at the players, nor did they put pressure on them to win. Instead, they focused on helping them become better players, knowing that victories in younger categories didn’t matter all that much. They put quality above everything else, much like any assignment writing service or company that cares about its customers.
Dier was a live-in student
One of the reasons why Dier is extremely stable on the pitch is because he had to grow up faster than his peers. Although Dier and his family lived in Portugal, they were about 45 minutes away from Sporting’s training facilities, and it became more and more difficult for the family to make that trip every day. So, he made a decision to live at the academy, which even surprised the club, and only returned to his family after games and on the weekends.
This required him not only to learn how to live on his own, but also to completely immerse himself in the culture and the language along with all the other boys who weren’t from Lisbon or even Portugal.
He has no option but to accept Portugal as his home, and from then on, it was smooth sailing, both on and off the pitch. As mentioned before, he fit in and did so well that he was offered to play for Portugal, but Dier ultimately wanted to play for England at some point.
He learned to work hard in order to achieve results
In the world of football, nothing is given to you, apart from the opportunity to work hard and realize your true potential. Eric Dier did exactly that for years, climbing through the ranks of Sporting’s youth categories, until he finally played his first game for Sporting in the Primeira League in 2012. He even managed to assist with a goal.
In order to achieve his dream of playing in the Premier League and for the English national team, he had to toil hard learning his trade for years in a foreign country, until he finally made his way back to Tottenham in 2014. As a result, he appreciates every single moment, and unlike most of his colleagues, he doesn’t live the typical footballer’s razzamatazz lifestyle.
Anglo-Portuguese
Eric Dier is a great example of how you can both honour your home country, as well as the one which has given you pretty much else, which is why it’s not a surprise that he still calls Lisbon his home. Watching him perform for the Three Lions it is obvious he remains 100% committed to England, but there will always be a Portuguese influence in his game and his life.
