Eric Dier is one of eight players who will be leaving Tottenham Hotspur this summer.
Dier, 30, has been on the books of the Lilywhites for the past decade, but Spurs confirmed he will be leaving the club after the expiration of his contract on Wednesday. Ryan Sessegnon, Ivan Perisic and Japhet Tanganga have also been shown the door.
The Englishman has been on loan at Bayern Munich since the turn of the year – and he’s expected to sign for the Bundesliga giants this summer. Dier will be the second Spurs star to move to Bayern in as many years, following in the footsteps of Harry Kane.
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Dier will leave as something as a cult hero in north London – depending on who you speak to as his name is also synonymous with a string of defensive howlers – but he might be best remembered for a wild incident in 2020. It saw the Englishman climb into the stands at White Hart Lane to confront a fan following Spurs’ loss in the FA Cup to Norwich.
He was seen jogging down the touchline and leaping over advertising hoardings, before clambering over seats in the home end. He was then involved in a heated confrontation with a fan, who had been in a disagreement with his brother Patrick. Dier was subsequently led away by stewards, after the fan fled when he approached.
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Then manager Jose Mourinho suggested Dier had reacted to insults towards his brother. He said: “I cannot run away from the question and I think Eric Dier did something that we professionals cannot but, in these circumstances, something that every one of us would do.
“When someone insults you and your family is there, and your family gets involved with the person that is insulting you, in this case your younger brother, I think Eric did what we professionals cannot but, I repeat, probably every one of us would do.”
Dier was investigated by the FA and ultimately fined £40,000 for his troubles and banned for four games. He later told the Times that the fan had been shouting insults about him “for a minute and a half” before his brother intervened.
He said: “Patrick just grabs him on the shoulder. Loads of people get involved and I just went. Patrick gets angry about the story, rightly so, because Patrick’s a big boy and can look after himself a lot better than me.
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“It wasn’t like Patrick was getting beat up. Patrick stepped in for me first because there was a guy just abusing me non-stop. I’ve got a very thick skin to this stuff.”
The Englishman has been enjoying life at Bayern Munich, and he has slotted in for the German giants in their backline. Dier is expected to make his move with Bayern permanent this summer.
Tottenham, meanwhile, are expected to overhaul their squad as Ange Postecoglou looks to add his stamp to the Lilywhites.
A post from Spurs on social media read: “We can confirm the departures of Japhet Tanganga, Ryan Sessegnon, Eric Dier and Ivan Perisic following the conclusion of their contracts.
“We thank Japhet, Ryan, Eric and Ivan for their service to the club and wish them all the very best for the future.”